Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to help make school uniforms more affordable.

The ‘Cost of school uniform’ guidance, which was published in November 2021 and came into force at the start of September, requires schools to ensure that their uniform is affordable and secures best value for money for parents. It requires schools to:

• keep branded items to a minimum and limited to low cost or long-lasting items
• give the highest priority to cost and value for money in their supply arrangements
• make second-hand uniform available for parents to acquire
• publish their uniform policy on their website and ensure that this is easily understood
• engage with parents and pupils on cost issues when they are developing their uniform policy.

Headteachers know their school communities best and can make decisions on the branded items that are most appropriate to their school. Branded items create a sense of common identity and prevent pupils from competing against one another in the latest fashion trends. The guidance requires school leaders to carefully consider the overall cost implications of their chosen approach, including whether requiring a branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform. To ensure that school uniform acts as a social leveller, optional branded items should be kept to a minimum.

The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms.