Tightened guidance to stop schools 'dodging' new uniform law

Schools will be expected to find uniform suppliers that offer payment plans and review their arrangements every five years, the government has announced.

Guidance will be updated later this year to stop schools “dodging” cost limits and “sidestepping” new legislation on the number of branded items a pupil is required to have, the Department for Education said.

Under changes that came into force this week, schools must limit the number of branded items in school uniforms and PE kits.

Primary schools are allowed to have three branded uniform items, while secondaries are allowed to have an additional branded item - but one of these four must be a tie.

Schools will no longer be able to “hide” behind optional branded items with no cheap alternatives or to “pressure” parents into buying branded sports kit under the new guidance, the DfE said today.

If schools fail to comply with the new guidance, the education secretary can take action to change a school’s uniform policy.

School uniform costs ‘getting out of hand’

Prime minister Andy Burnham warned that school uniform should not be charged at “luxury prices” and that costs were getting “out of hand”.

He said: “I’ve listened to parents and alongside the cap on branded items that came in this week, I’m going further to change the rules.

“We’ll close loopholes and make sure schools shop around for suppliers and consider payment plans.”

Education secretary Lucy Powell added: “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.”