Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with school uniform suppliers on the potential merits of reducing synthetic materials in school uniforms.

It is for the governing body of a school (or the academy trust in the case of academies) to determine their school’s uniform policy. Under the Education (Guidance about the Cost of School Uniform) Act 2021, the forthcoming statutory guidance is limited in scope to the cost aspects of school uniform. Although the guidance will make clear that schools should give high priority to cost considerations and value for money, that does not prevent them from taking account of other issues which are important to them, such as sustainability.

Within the statutory guidance the Department intends to outline expectations that all schools should make second hand uniform available for parents to acquire. Not only will this help parents to manage the cost of school uniform, but by extending the life cycle of garments, this will be more sustainable.

The Department has met regularly with the Schoolwear Association to discuss a range of issues relating to the guidance and the supply of school uniform. We will continue to meet with them to refine the statutory guidance to ensure that it is fair to all those involved and takes into account the views of school uniform suppliers, manufacturers and retailers.