U - School Uniform (A to Z Tips)

Back in March 2020, just prior to lockdown, Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Weaver Vale, presented a Bill which has Government backing and could soon become law. His Bill, titled ‘Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms)’ aims to introduce a statutory requirement for schools and governors to prioritise affordability when setting their uniform policy and to bring about a change of law to make school uniforms more affordable for families.

Mr Amesbury admits that, at first, he was not aware of the significance of the bill, until an avalanche of emails, meeting requests, and demands from the press started to arrive. He is at pains to reassure Members that the Bill is not anti-school uniform; it is not a gateway to the abolition of school uniforms, nor is it an anti-branding exercise, but he is seeking to end “monopolies” where schools have exclusive relationships with one supplier, which he and the Bill campaigners claim leads to spiralling costs.

The Bill will lead to schools specifying items, but not brand or suppliers. Mr Amesbury adds that “there are plenty of supermarkets and other retailers that offer cheap but quality items of clothing which will make up a school uniform… This will bring down costs considerably.”

On average a school uniform in the UK costs £340 for a state secondary and £255 for a state primary school, with independent school uniforms costs varying greatly from school to school, an issue that cuts across all constituencies. Cases have been stated of millions of children going to school with ill-fitting uniforms, and schools whose uniform policies add further pressures to hard pressed schools. For example, one school required branded socks, other schools demand a uniform for several different year groups. Additionally, it is reported that uniform issues can lead to poor attendance and even temporary exclusions or suspensions. Mr Amesbury feels that too many schools needlessly apply high prices to a multitude of branded items of uniform, including jumpers, blazers, ties, hats, PE bags, coats and different uniforms, including a selection of different socks, for different seasons.

Nickie Aiken, Conservative MP for Cities of London and Westminster, supports the Bill, but highlights that it also requires a focus on quality to ensure that parents do not have to keep replacing uniform which would be a false economy. Sir Christopher Chope, Conservative MP for Christchurch, Dorset, suggests that it might be time for the Government to remove VAT on school uniforms.

Andrew Lewer, Conservative MP for Northampton South, raises a further point with regard to school wear that is not only low cost but made from recycled materials; durability and ethical sourcing shows that there is more to value than the price. Mr Lewer makes the point that no one is suggesting that a uniform makes or breaks a school, but if a school is seeking to change and drive up standards—possibly in response to not very satisfactory Ofsted results, or in response to parent pressure to step up their game—a uniform makes the statement that it is on a mission to do that. Also, schools with a much longer tradition of success that they want to keep up encourage pride in their uniform—pride in their brand, and in what they have achieved for the young people that they serve. Uniform has an important role to play there.

Mike Wood, Conservative, raises the point that school-age children have an annoying habit of growing out of school uniforms, long before those uniform wears out. Although many schools have introduced second-hand uniform shops, many don’t offer pre-loved uniform and he wonders if this should be encouraged and made best practice in all schools?

Pre-loved uniform is, indeed, one area that can greatly help parents of new school starters, particularly those for are changing schools. If schools do not have sufficient resource, or space, to host pre-loved uniform stock perhaps local schools could collaborate and approach a local charity to hold the supply.

One way or another, state school or independent, branded or otherwise, there is a drive to bring the cost of school uniforms down to a more affordable level and for that we should applaud our MPs for championing the cause.