Labour’s school uniform cap risks fuelling inequality, not fixing it

The Government plans to cap the number of branded uniform items that a school can mandate to three per pupil, plus a tie for secondary school pupils. But the cap has been set too low and doesn’t properly balance affordability with schools’ ability to set uniform policies which benefit children.

Ahead of the cap becoming law, and the implementation deadline at the start of the school year in September, the Government has also issued accompanying guidance, aiming to give families greater flexibility to buy cheaper items and save money

But, as any parent will know, ‘greater flexibility’ will mean they will be harassed into buying the latest fashion brands under pressure from their children who now have to compare themselves to both peers in their own school and to young influencers on social media. Or they will end up buying cheap and unsuitable items from the supermarket, which won’t last as long and won’t be passed down.

More concerning still is the wider social impact of the cap. By weakening uniform’s role as a leveller, it risks dividing pupils more starkly into the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots.’

School leaders have long believed that uniform supports academic performance and behaviour by fostering a sense of belonging and meritocracy. But our new survey of specialist schoolwear retailers, who work closely with the schools they supply, found that schools are most concerned that the cap will increase visible inequality, that it will be harder to manage dress codes and that it will dimmish the value of school uniform.

The Government believes that the cap is one of the measures that will ‘support the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity by supporting children to arrive at school ready to learn.’ But the Department for Education has made no assessment on how the cap would impact social cohesion, student performance or behaviour in classrooms.

As schools begin to grapple with implementation ahead of the new school year, further unintended consequences are already emerging, particularly for children’s physical education. I am aware of several schools in the West Midlands and the North West that are already dropping certain sports from their curriculum altogether because the new guidance prevents them from mandating the specific kit required, even in cases where schools are willing to provide that kit for free to every pupil. This policy is inadvertently restricting opportunities for children.

Schools now find themselves under immense pressure to deliver a uniform policy that many neither wanted nor fully understand, on a tight timeline. Our survey found that almost three quarters of retailers say the schools they are working with oppose the school uniform cap, whilst 63% are still facing enquiries from schools over what a branded item even is.

The best way to prevent schools and families across the country from being negatively impacted is to increase the itemised cap.

Matthew Easter is the Chair of the Schoolwear Association