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- Author, Vanessa Clarke
- Role, Education Reporter, BBC News
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2 minutes ago
Parents across England have a few weeks to sort out their children’s school uniforms for the new school year.
Current rules tell school principals to keep items with school logos on them to a minimum, but the new government will introduce a specific limit.
Before it came into power, it said the number would be three. And for many schools, that means eliminating branded clothing for physical education.
The aim is to reduce costs for parents, but some question whether it will work and warn of possible side effects, such as “stigmatization” and dropping out of school.
‘Too expensive’
Anna Aponik, a nursing student, is already saving for her daughter’s high school uniform.
Mrs Aponik bought a skirt and trousers from the school’s second-hand shop in Gloucestershire, but had to buy a jacket, tie, hoodie and gym clothes – consisting of leggings, football socks and a top – from the only local sportswear shop.
“The white shirt is the only one I can buy in different stores,” she says.
Adding it all up, she says it will cost at least £106 for each of her three children, and she would also like to see a limit on the number of branded items.
“I am a student nurse and my husband is a bus driver, so finances are tight. We try to cut costs everywhere and we don’t really go out because it’s too expensive. So if you buy a school uniform, you don’t have to buy anything else,” says Ms Aponik.
Image source, Anna Aponik
Image caption, Anna Aponik, 43, a student nurse, doesn’t understand why her family can’t buy trousers, skirts and gym clothes in supermarkets, as they did for primary school
A survey of 2,000 parents by the Children’s Society found that two in three parents of secondary school pupils think school uniforms are too expensive and one in three have to buy four or more branded items.
“Many families are still having to spend hundreds of pounds a year,” said CEO Mark Russell.
There is “a lot more to be done” to reduce costs – and he wants to limit the number of branded items to two.
Schools are already legally obliged to:
- Limit the use of branded items that are unique to the school to a minimum
- Avoid single-supplier contracts
- Make sure that second-hand uniforms are available
And in the Speech from the Throne, the government promised to limit the number of branded items they need.
Most of the 272 schools surveyed by the Schoolwear Association said sports leggings and underwear would be removed from the school uniform list following the changes.
“That has huge potential implications,” said Matthew Easter, the industry’s chairman.
“Sports participation is declining. And then when you add to that the fact that students may be worried about not having the same brand as their friends, I think you’ll see an even bigger decline.”
But the government says expensive sportswear from well-known brands is a barrier to participation, and no child should be excluded or discouraged because he or she does not have the right clothing.
At the Ninestiles academy in Birmingham, there are four branded items on the uniform list: a blazer, a tie and a sports top and shorts.
Image caption, Ninestiles has kept the number of branded items low to help families with costs, but says the mandatory gym clothes create unity
And while he agrees that the current guidelines are “a bit vague”, director Alex Hughes says the gymwear “ensures that no one is stigmatised or stands out for not having the latest item of clothing or the most branded gym gear”.
The school will follow the new rules, but Mr Hughes is concerned that families will buy expensive branded sports clothing, “which could actually reduce the unity in our community”.
Meanwhile, the school principals’ unions say most schools are already working very hard to ensure their school uniforms are affordable and will feel “reasonably comfortable” with the new restrictions.
“But it is important that the government also focuses on the details to avoid unintended consequences,” adds James Bowen of the school leaders’ union NAHT.
Second hand uniforms
In Huddersfield, families seeking help with the cost of their uniforms are usually referred to the Uniform Exchange.
Second-hand uniforms from over 180 schools are being collected and it is expected that 7,000 bags containing a complete uniform and gym clothing package can be sent this year.
But over the past two years, founder Kate France has noticed a decline in gym clothes donations as schools change their policies.
“Every time a logo or branding for a specific school is taken off a list, we see less of it on our shelves because it is no longer considered a school item,” she says.
“So people hold on to it and use it for other things.”
Image source, BBC/Ann Gannon
Image caption, Kate France from the Uniform Exchange in Huddersfield fears that tighter restrictions could further reduce donations for families in need
Ms France wants schools to keep their logos for at least five years, rather than changing the rules again.
“We’ve seen silly changes where there’s hardly any change, and then the school expects their kids to be able to get on with it in September,” she says.
“That’s frustrating for the parents and for us, because we’re throwing away hundreds of quality uniforms.”
The Department for Education is reviewing all available evidence and has not yet decided on the exact number of items schools will be restricted to.
But it is clear that the measure will not only ‘reduce costs for parents’ but also ‘remove barriers for children to participate in sports’.
