MP calls to tighten law on branded school uniforms

An MP says school uniform costs need to be further reduced as parents continue to shoulder big bills when it comes to kitting their children out for a new term.

Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Runcorn and Helsby, in Cheshire, has written to the Secretary of State for Education calling for the law around school uniform costs to be strengthened.

Current rules state schools need to ensure their uniform is affordable, the use of branded items is kept to a minimum and supplier arrangements give the highest priority to cost and value for money.

The Department for Education (DfE) said it would bring in laws to cap the number of branded school items parents were expected to buy.

In Liverpool one woman told BBC Radio Merseyside how she had to visit two separate specialist shops for her children's uniforms as they go to different schools.

"We have to get some stuff from specialised places that sells the embroidered uniform," she said.

"We can't ever really take advantage of the cheap stuff in supermarkets."

Another woman said she always buys larger school uniform for her children to grow into in order to save money.

"I leave it as late in the summer as possible in case they have a growth spurt," she said.

"I've got a boy who's seven and he doesn't fit in the seven to eight size at the moment, and the next one is nine to 10 - so he's going to have a uniform that buries him for a little while."

Mr Amesbury had helped secure a Labour manifesto commitment to set a limit on the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit schools can require.

He has now written to Bridget Phillipson calling for this to be put in place "as quickly as practically possible".

In a letter, Mr Amesbury said the current rules on branded items "aren’t clear enough and can be interpreted differently by schools, or the message simply isn’t getting through".

He said while the law "was a valuable starting point" it was "disappointing".

A 2023 survey by the Children Society found parents and carers of secondary school children were paying on average £422 a year on uniform, and about £287 for primary school children.

"Headteachers have a duty to keep expensive branded clothing items to a minimum so parents can buy cheaper supermarket alternatives, they are encouraged to hold swap shops and must introduce greater competition with respect to supplier arrangements," he said.

He called for the existing law to be tightened by updating the statutory guidance issued to schools and would not require new legislation.

Petra Davies, from the Wirral-based charity Free Uniforms for School (FUSS), which provides pre-worn donated uniforms, said the organisation had expanded over the past 12 years due to demand and now included eight hubs in Wirral and two in Skelmersdale.

Ms Davies said its hub in Wallasey had seen a 60% increase on demand from last year and had already given away over 770 items this summer.

"The need is there," she said.

"When you buy uniform the children grow so quickly," she said.

She called for branded school uniforms to be "simplified" with any branding to be printed on cheaper items such as ties and said schools changing uniforms can be "costly" families.

"We are trying to clothe the children of Wirral as best as we possibly can before the schools return," she said.

A DfE spokesman said: "Too many families tell us that the cost of school uniform and PE kit is too expensive.

"That’s why we will legislate through the Children’s Wellbeing Bill to cap the number of items of branded uniform and PE kit that schools can require, helping reduce costs for parents and removing barriers to children accessing sport, so that we can break down the barriers to opportunity.

"Through our plans to roll out breakfast clubs in every primary school and put a cap on branded uniform items, we’ll build stronger family finances and better life chances for children."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected]