Parents are still having to spend “exorbitant amounts” on school uniforms despite changes introduced last year aimed at keeping costs down, a charity has said.
Parents and carers of secondary school children are paying on average £422 per year on uniform, and around £287 for primary school children, according to research by The Children’s Society.
The charity, which polled 2,000 parents from across the UK in May, said the high costs are partly due to the requirement from some schools for branded items which have to be bought from specialist shops rather than supermarkets or high-street chains.
Its survey found that on average pupils were expected to have three branded items, with 29% of secondary school pupils required to own up to five branded items including PE kits, and 13% expected to have as many as seven.
The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act received the Government’s backing and came into force in autumn last year. It applies to England only.
Under guidance published following the introduction of the Act, schools must make sure second-hand uniforms are available.
They are also advised to keep branded uniform items to a minimum and are encouraged to allow more high-street options.
