Strict faculties to be banned from demanding mother and father purchase too many branded uniform gadgets

Schools in the UK are set to be banned from telling parents to buy all of their branded uniform items after the Labour government made the pledge in its manifesto

Schools will be banned from demanding parents buy too many branded uniform items. It is the first time a government has introduced such a rule after Labour made the pledge in their manifesto.

It is aimed at allowing hard-up families to shop around for cheaper options, with supermarkets often offering the best value for school uniforms. Primaries will no longer be able to ask for more than three branded items. Secondaries will have the same rule, with the addition of a tie.

Pressure groups say expensive uniforms are a headache for parents, with some forced to splash out hundreds just because the items have logos.

Campaigner Naomi McBurney said: “Branded sports kits are a financial drain. Parents and guardians are at the end of their tether.”

Many children in the US and Europe do not wear uniforms at all, while UK parents spend an average of £422 on secondary uniforms while primary kit costs £287 a year, according to research by the Children’s Society.

Struggling families often raise the issue with head teachers. Some children even end up missing lessons altogether because they don’t have the right gear, a report by The Centre for Young Lives found.

But the Schoolwear Association, which represents uniform suppliers, is miffed over the move. Chairman Matthew Easter complained there had been “little consultation with schools or the industry”.

He added: “There is a significant risk that the government’s decision will adversely impact pupils and school life in general by undermining the welfare and attainment benefits that uniform is there to preserve.

“Schools work hard to understand what works best for their community. The Government should be supporting them to cater for their most disadvantaged pupils instead of imposing yet more rules for schools to implement.”

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