Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the cost of school uniforms by promoting price competitiveness.

The Department recognises that many people are worried about the impact of the increases in the cost of living with many households struggling to make their income stretch to cover the basics. It is therefore even more important that schools consider the cost of their uniform and follow the guidance to ensure best value for money for parents.

In November 2021, the Department published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms, which schools must consider when designing and implementing their uniform policies. The guidance, which came into effect in September 2022, requires schools to ensure that their uniform is affordable and secures best value for money for parents.

The guidance requires schools to:

• keep branded items to a minimum, allowing parents more choice on where they purchase most items of uniform
• demonstrate how value for money has been obtained from suppliers for any required branded items
• avoid single supplier contracts unless regular tendering competitions are run. The Department advises contracts to be retendered at least every five years.

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