Low income parents 'struggling to cope' with rising school uniform costs

The latest research carried out by The Children’s Society on the cost of school uniforms found that one in eight (13 per cent) families made cutbacks to pay for their child’s primary or secondary school clothing.

However, for low-income families the additional financial strain of having to pay more than £300 per year per child meant nearly a quarter of them (23 per cent) had no choice but to cut back.

The findings follow the recent State of Child Health 2020 report which shows more than four million children live in poverty in the UK, more than at any time over the last decade.

Of these, around half (47 per cent) are from working single-parent families.

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The charity polled 1,000 parents of school-age children in February across the UK about the costs of school uniforms.

It timed the publication of its findings to coincide with the second reading of a private member's bill in Parliament today (13 March), calling for an end to school policies requiring parents to buy branded uniforms. The bill was passed and will now move to the committee stage.

We did it 🥳🥳@MikeAmesburyMP's bill to #CutTheCost of school uniforms is moving forwards with overwhelming support – this will make a real difference to so many families

— Children's Society (@childrensociety) March 13, 2020

The survey found 66 per cent of parents with children in secondary school and 52 per cent of primary school parents had to buy two or more items of uniform from a specific shop.

This increased the cost of a primary school uniform by 50 per cent compared with parents having to buy no or one specific item, rising from around £248 to £375 per year, the charity said.

'School uniforms are a good thing if they are affordable and inclusive' - @MikeAmesburyMP

Let's #CutTheCost of school uniforms 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/a3dQu7a2BJ

— Children's Society (@childrensociety) March 13, 2020

Similarly, the cost of a secondary school uniform rose by 26 per cent, from around £268 to £361.

The research showed on average parents spent around £337 on secondary school uniform each year with primary school parents paying as much as £315 a year per child.

The investigation also uncovered the price of school uniform was affecting which schools parents were applying to send their children.

The charity said it estimated – based on the proportion of parents (6.7 per cent) that indicated uniform cost had affected their choice of school – that more than half a million parents could have been influenced by such a factor.

It says the findings go against statutory guidance stating that school uniform policies should not discourage parents from applying for a place.

Mark Russell, the charity’s chief executive, said “rigid and prescriptive” school policies left parents unable to buy cheaper alternatives that could save families hundreds of pounds and prevent money worries or debt.

“The prices parents have to pay for school uniforms are unacceptable and we were concerned to discover how many parents are forced to buy specific items from exclusive retailers,” he said.

He added: “It’s shocking that parents are making decisions about where to send their child to school based on whether they can afford the uniform.”

The research also uncovered the impact on children wearing the wrong uniform with reports of pupils being bullied, feeling left out or even excluded from school.

Nearly a quarter of parents (23 per cent) said they had sent their child to school wearing ill-fitting, unclean or incorrect uniform.

The charity estimates nearly half a million children have been sent home from school for wearing incorrect uniform such as the wrong colour shoes or coat.

Mike Amesbury, Labour member for Weaver Vale and shadow employment minister, who introduced the private member's bill on school uniform costs earlier this year, said many of his constituents were struggling to afford to pay for items of clothing on already tight family budgets.

“I have heard the same story from other MPs and so know this is a national issue affecting thousands of families and children around the UK,” he said.

The bill calls for school uniform policies to scrap the requirement for branded and specialist items, allowing parents the choice to buy their uniforms from a wider range of more competitive retailers.