Almost all primary schools in England have some form of uniform. It is an accepted part of developing a school’s identity and encouraging pupils to feel part of the school community.
However, there has long been concern that some schools put too many financial barriers in the way of parents, including demanding too many branded items that are often to be purchased from just a couple of providers.
The 2021 guidance
These concerns led to the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021. The law changed and schools were told that uniform needed to be affordable and were instructed to keep the use of branded items “to a minimum”.
The changes – which were set out in statutory guidance (DfE, 2021) also told schools to avoid “single supplier contracts” unless they were regularly tendered to ensure “best value for money is secured”.
It made clear that the cost of a school’s uniform should not influence parents’ decision about which school to apply to: “No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to, or attend, a school of their choice.”
This, of course, is clearly stated in the School Admissions Code, too: “Admission authorities must ensure that their arrangements will not disadvantage unfairly, either directly or indirectly, a child from a particular social or racial group, or a child with a disability or SEN, and that other policies around school uniform or school trips do not discourage parents from applying for a place for their child.”
Schools were also told to ensure that second-hand uniform is available and that information is given to parents about used uniform options.
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is currently making its way through Parliament and will take the rules on school uniform further, seeking to stipulate exactly how many branded items “a minimum” should entail.
In its current state, the Bill specifies: “The appropriate authority of a relevant schools in England may not require a primary pupil at the school to have more than three different branded items of school uniform for use during a school year.”
Secondary and middle schools will be able to require an additional branded item if one of those items is a branded tie. An explanatory article on the DfE’s Education Hub blog (DfE, 2025) stated: “The government is clear that these items should be limited to low-cost and long-wearing items only.”
By “school uniform”, the Bill means “a bag and any clothing required for school or for any lesson, club, activity or event facilitated by the school”.
This includes branded items for after-school/extra-curricular activities. This could refer to any number of additional activities that the school organises such as choral singing, theatre groups and involvement in sporting activities where schools might require parents to purchase additional items.
The Bill specifies that an item of school uniform is “branded” if “it has the school name or school logo on or attached to it, or as a result of its colour, design, fabric or other distinctive characteristic, it is only available from particular suppliers”.
Schools can offer additional branded products, but they cannot make them a requirement.
Further action needed
Despite the provisions in 2021, it seems that things have been slow to change. Research from the Children’s Society in 2023 and involving 2,000 parents and carers found that on average primary school uniforms are costing families an average of £287 per-pupil, per-year (for secondaries, the cost was £422).
The cost is blamed on uniform policies which the survey found are demanding an average of three branded items – although 29% of the respondents said they were expected to buy four or five branded items echoing the DfE’s figures.
What is more, 45% said their school’s policy had not been updated since the 2021 guidance (which became statutory in September 2022).
In April, the DfE’s Education Hub blog (DfE, 2025) stated that 24% of primary and 70% of secondary schools still require five or more branded items – with examples of some schools asking parents to provide 10 or more.
What impact will the Bill have?
Most primary schools are already keenly aware of the importance of keeping down the cost of their school uniform.
Katie Alexander is deputy headteacher at Carr Mill Primary School in St Helen’s: “We stock branded jumpers and school ties for our children. Any uniform sold by school is done so at cost with no profit being made. Families are welcome to source their own plain uniform in our school colours from elsewhere.”
Anthony David, executive headteacher at St Paul’s and Monken Hadley CE Primary Schools, added: “We use a local stockest that supplies a number of local schools. Our uniform is as basic as possible which means it is low in cost to our families. It is far cheaper than casual clothes.”
Pawlett, West Huntspill and East Huntspill Primary School Academies also use a local supplier chosen through a value-for-money and quality analysis, with the contract being reviewed annually across the trust. Principal Emma Barker explained: “The only branded item we suggest (although not compulsory) is a jumper or a cardigan. The remainder of our school uniform can be bought at local supermarkets and high street retailers.
“We have made a conscious choice to keep the cost of uniform to a minimum and we regularly check in with parents and our Community Council on this issue.”
Back at Carr Mill, the school like many others also offers “pre-loved uniform” options, including a wide selection of not just school uniform and PE kit but also shoes, socks, underpants and coats. There is also some body care supplies and resources to treat headlice including mini-bottles of conditioner and combs.
This doesn’t mean that these schools do not see the importance of having a set uniform. Ms Barker continued: “Parents and children alike appreciate having a uniform as it offers a great sense of belonging and identity.”
Ms Alexander added: “When children wear their school uniform they stand taller as proud members of our school. However, we take the view that this feeling can be achieved without the need of branded items.”
Ultimately, most primary schools acted if they needed to back in 2021 and are unlikely to need to change their overall uniform policy in light of the new rules. However, they may need to double check any requirements placed on pupils who take part in additional activities.
The Bill is currently expected to become law in the autumn and schools would benefit from looking at their current policy and checking whether any amendments will be needed should it become statutory.
For those 24% of primaries (according to the DfE) who have seemingly taken less interest in ensuring the affordability of their uniform, they will need to think about which three items they wish to be branded and consider how and when these amendments to uniform policy are introduced.
- Suzanne O’Connell is a freelance education writer and a former primary school headteacher. Read her previous articles via www.headteacher-update.com/authors/suzanne-oconnell
Headteacher Update Summer Term Edition 2025
- This article first appeared in Headteacher Update's Summer Term Edition 2025. This edition was sent free of charge to primary schools across the country in May 2025. A free-to-download digital edition is also available via www.headteacher-update.com/content/downloads
Further information & resources
- DfE: Statutory guidance: Cost of school uniforms, 2021: https://buff.ly/7Th3Zme
- DfE: School Admissions Code, 2021: https://buff.ly/FSIIJfQ
- DfE: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Saving parents money on school uniform costs, Education Hub Blog, April 2025:
https://buff.ly/sFE8woZ - UK Parliament: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, last updated April 10, 2025: https://buff.ly/aNRdCly