Mike Amesbury MP calls for school uniforms to be more affordable

Crippling costs are setting families back hundreds of pounds a year, despite new rules introduced to make uniforms more affordable, according to new analysis from The Children’s Society.

In a poll of 2,000 parents from across the UK, the charity found parents and carers of high school children are paying on average £422 per year on uniform, and around £287 for primary school children, although schools in England were tasked to review uniform policies and reduce uniform costs from September 2022. 

The high cost of school uniforms can be partly put down to the prevalence of branded items that must be purchased from specialist shops, rather than the more affordable options available at supermarkets or high street chains.

On average pupils are expected to have three branded items, and shockingly 29 per cent of high school pupils are required to own four to five branded items, including uniforms and PE kits, while a staggering 13 per cent are expected to have six or seven branded items.

Despite the legal obligation for schools in England to review uniform policies by September 2022, the poll revealed that nearly a full school year later, 45 per cent of parents reported that their school uniform policies had not been updated.

The statutory guidance to schools stresses the promotion of second-hand uniform options, discouragement of branded items, avoidance of single supplier contracts and the need for clear and accessible uniform policies on school websites.

However, it appears that the legislation is not being widely and strongly enforced, leaving some schools failing to provide parents and carers the best value for their money.

Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury (Image: Mike Amesbury)

Weaver Vale Mike Amesbury introduced the Private Member’s Bill on school uniform costs that became law.

He said: “I was delighted when the law was passed in 2021 to make school uniform more affordable, so families had more choice and fewer specialist items to buy.

“However, it appears that the rules on branded items are not clear enough, can be interpreted differently by schools, or the message is not getting through.

“I would urge the Department for Education to do more so schools make these important changes.”

Mark Russell, chief executive of The Children's Society, added: “It is alarming that parents are still forced to spend exorbitant amounts on school uniforms.

“With inflation and the cost of living eating into family budgets, we are disappointed that the affordability of school uniforms remains a significant financial burden for many families.

“As an organisation, we had campaigned for many years to make school uniform affordable, and while some schools have made commendable changes to reduce costs, this positive trend is still not widespread enough.

“We urge parents who struggle with the affordability of school uniforms to contact the school and school governors.”