Labour’s promise to restrict manufacturers on uniforms will ‘value mother and father extra’

Labour‘s pledge to limit the number of branded items of school uniform and PE kit will ‘cost parents more’, an industry boss has warned.

Matthew Easter, chairman of the Schoolwear Association, said the restrictions could create ‘inequality in school’ as young people put pressure on their parents to buy alternative clothing from brands such as Nike or Adidas.

The Labour Party’s manifesto has pledged to ‘bring down the cost of school by limiting the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require’.

But Mr Easter said the policy would have a ‘negative impact’ on schools, parents and pupils.

He also warned that further restrictions would ‘decimate’ the schoolwear industry and a lot of small retailers ‘would not survive’.

Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to Whale Hill Primary School in Eston, Middlesbrough

Schools have told the association that they are more likely to reduce the number of branded school sportswear items over daywear.

Mr Easter said: ‘What happens is the kids then pressure their parents to go and buy Nike or Adidas or another fashion sports brand and the cost goes up massively, and then you create inequality in school where some kids have Nike and some kids don’t. There’s the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’.’

In September, Labour pledged to strengthen existing statutory guidance in an effort to reduce the burden on families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

Under proposals, announced by the party at the time, parents would only have to buy a maximum of three branded items of uniform and PE kit.

However, this level of detail is not in the Labour Party’s manifesto, which only commits to limiting the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit schools require.

Statutory government guidance on uniforms, which came into effect in autumn 2022, already tells state schools in England to keep branded items to ‘a minimum’.

Mr Easter said some schools had decided to no longer require school branded items for PE following the guidance, but had since reintroduced these items as there were negative consequences.

He said: ‘By giving latitude to go and buy anything, kids say, ‘I don’t want to wear that. I’m only going to wear this. My friends wear the Nike product therefore I’m going to wear that as well’.

‘In trying to do the right thing of reducing costs to parents, it will actually have the opposite effect.’

Statutory government guidance on uniforms, which came into effect in autumn 2022, already tells state schools in England to keep branded items to ‘a minimum’ (file image) 

Jason Elsom, chief executive of charity Parentkind, said it was ‘ludicrous’ to say that school uniforms could not be simplified without the risk of some families buying branded products.

He said: ‘No child will remember the branded sports top they didn’t wear, but they will be scarred by memories of their mum going without food or the long winter evenings freezing in their bedroom.’

Research published by The Children’s Society charity last year found parents were still spending ‘exorbitant amounts’ on school uniforms despite changes introduced to keep costs down.

Parents and carers of secondary school children were paying on average £422 per year on uniforms, and around £287 for primary school children, it found.

Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said: ‘Costs have rocketed, with uniform prices for secondary school pupils increasing by a quarter in the last three years alone.

‘Branded items are driving price rises which are making children poorer not smarter.’