Government cracks down on school uniform 'rip-offs' in bid to ease cost of living for families
From this week, primary schools in England can require no more than three branded uniform items, while secondary schools will be limited to four
Families will be protected from costly school uniform bills under tougher rules designed to stop schools and suppliers exploiting loopholes, the Government has said.
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From this week, primary schools in England can require no more than three branded uniform items, while secondary schools will be limited to four.
The rules are intended to prevent schools from labelling costly kit as “optional” while offering no cheaper alternative, or pressuring families to buy branded PE clothing.
The Government said nearly half of parents identify uniform costs as their biggest financial concern at the start of the school year, citing research by Save the Children.
New guidance due later this year will also require schools to review uniform-supplier contracts at least once every five years and consider companies offering payment plans.
Read more: Hundreds of firms named and shamed by Government for paying less than minimum wage
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: “No family should be priced out by a school’s choice of uniform supplier or an insistence on branded items.
“We’ve been clear with schools - three items for primary, four for secondary, no exceptions and no excuses. If schools try to work around that, we will step in.”
The measures took effect on 1 September and apply to compulsory branded items, with the Government saying schools should ensure affordable alternatives are available.
Setting out the policy, the Prime Minister said children should not be made to feel excluded or face bullying because their parents cannot afford a particular school uniform.
Mr Burnham said some families felt “backed into a corner”, unable to give their children “the start in school they’re desperate to”.
He added: “It also means kids being made to feel like outsiders – and often being bullied – for something they have absolutely no control over.
“I won’t have that. So we’re ending the school uniform rip-off.”
The Prime Minister said a school crest should represent shared identity, rather than a family’s income.
“A school crest should be about showing what they have in common, not what their parents can afford,” he said.
The move forms part of a wider package of back-to-school support, including expanded free school meals, childcare support and breakfast clubs, ministers said.