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Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Wednesday, 29 November 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 December 2023. It was answered by Damian Hinds (Conservative) on Wednesday, 6 December 2023 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Uniforms: Low Incomes

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support families on low incomes with the cost of school uniforms.

Answer

Education is a devolved matter; the response outlines the information for England only, not Northern Ireland.

Rather than subsiding expensive uniform policies with financial assistance, the department published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform to ensure uniform is affordable for all families. Schools needed to start being compliant with the guidance from September 2022. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms.

​Schools must have regard to this guidance when designing and implementing their uniform policy. The guidance requires schools to ensure that their uniform is affordable and secures best value for money for parents.

There is no specific funding for schools to support families to meet the costs of school uniform, but schools may offer additional support in cases of financial hardship where they choose to do so.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
4427
Session
2023-24
Subjects
Costs Low incomes Uniforms
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk