- Almost three quarters (71%) of specialist schoolwear retailers say schools they work with oppose the school uniform cap, according to a new industry survey.
- Retailers are also warning that schools are concerned about the cap’s impact on inequality in the classroom and participation in PE and extra-curricular sports.
- The Schoolwear Association is urging the Government to amend the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to increase the cap on branded school uniform items, which would balance affordability for parents with schools’ ability to set uniform policies which benefit pupils, families and teachers.
7 in 10 specialist schoolwear retailers say that the schools they work with oppose the Government’s school uniform cap, according to a new survey.
Under plans set out in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, set to be debated at Report Stage in the House of Lords this week, the Government intends to cap the number of branded uniform items to three per pupil, plus a tie for secondary students. Ahead of the Bill receiving Royal Assent, the Government has also released guidance to explain to schools how to implement this policy.
But (71%) of specialist schoolwear retailers, who are working very closely with schools as they implement this policy, say that the schools they supply either oppose or strongly oppose the new school uniforms policy, and over half (53%) say that their schools are finding it quite difficult to adapt their existing school uniform policies in practice.
A new survey of specialist schoolwear retailers, who collectively serve around 10% of UK schools, shows how schools are concerned and confused about what the policy means for them:
- Over a third (36%) say that their schools don’t understand the guidance well
- 78% say that have received enquiries from the schools they supply
- 63% say they have received enquiries around how to define a branded item, indicating confusion over one of the most fundamental elements of the Government’s school uniform policy
The Prime Minister has said that breaking down barriers to opportunity is one of the key missions of his Government- but schools are worried that its school uniform policy will have the opposite effect and actually increase inequality in the classroom. According to the survey, the top three concerns schools have relayed to their schoolwear retailers are that it will increase visible inequality, that it will be harder to manage dress codes, and that it will diminish the value of school uniform.
Matthew Easter, Chair of the Schoolwear Association, said: Specialist schoolwear retailers are on the frontline of this policy change, so these findings should be a real wake-up call for the Government. Despite the new guidance, schools are genuinely confused about how to implement the policy. We also know that the Department has made no assessment of how the cap would impact social cohesion in schools, student performance or behaviour in the classroom, so it’s no surprise that schools are concerned about the very real impacts it could have on children.
The Government still has an opportunity to make their uniform policy work for families, children and schools alike, by increasing the cap for secondary schools to a more reasonable level, and clarifying key aspects of the guidance which schools are confused and concerned about.”
The survey also shows many schools are dropping PE kit from their school uniform policy, which could have serious implication for sports participation in the UK, especially amongst teenage girls. The majority of retailers (85%) say that their schools are planning to drop branded PE kit, whilst almost half (49%) say that their schools are planning to drop specialised sports kit. This is likely to increase costs for families, as fashion branded sports kit, which many parents will have to purchase instead, is actually significantly more expensive.
Matthew Easter continues: “The Government’s uniform policy is likely to inadvertently restrict extracurricular opportunities for children. We’re already aware that several schools in the West Midlands and the North West are dropping particular sports from their curriculum altogether because the new guidance does not allow them to have school specific sports kit.”
A headteacher from a secondary school in Birmingham said: “We have worked hard over the past 5 years to make sure that our uniform and sportswear is affordable as possible, to meet the needs of our socio-economically diverse school population. This has included directing our pupil premium money, so that all qualifying Year 7s and Year 9s receive a significant contribution towards their uniform costs. We have worked hard with our suppliers to reduce branded items already and to stock high quality and affordable items. We also manage other pots of support funding and provide a pre-loved uniform service for families in need. All of this is in conjunction with a smart and good quality uniform and sportswear offer, befitting our high pastoral expectations of appearance and demands of a vast sporting programme. The new bill, although good in its intentions, has made our task harder in the sense that it won’t actually save parents much money and will inadvertently make it harder for us to maintain high levels of appearance.”
Reform UK Sarah Pochin MP said: “Britain’s economy is broken yet Labour is putting common sense to one side and wasting time trying to micromanage school uniform policies. Interference schools do not welcome.
The school uniform cap is another poorly thought-through state intervention, which has been sold as support for struggling families, but is actually likely to do the opposite by pushing costs up for working parents already struggling with the cost of living.
“This government would do better to focus on what actually matters to the British people and fix the economy, restore public services and support hard-working families.”
