New school uniform rules with parents set to save money from September
The Labour Party government has now urged schools to slash uniform costs ahead of a major rule change, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson appealing to schools to reduce the number of branded uniform items parents are required to buy.
From September 2026 onwards, schools in England will only be permitted to require parents to purchase three branded uniform items, plus an optional branded tie for secondary schools.
This new move should help them save money amid the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis, with Ms Phillipson pushing for change before the school bell rings once more in September. In other news, headteacher spotted a pupil stealing from school, but the explanation is heartbreaking.
BT warning for anyone who still has UK landline in their home
According to Birmingham Live, schools can currently force parents to buy an unlimited number of branded uniform items, which can prove costly for struggling families.
Meanwhile, Ms Phillipson told The Sun she is pressing schools to implement these changes immediately, before the new term starts, to prevent families being "pushed into hardship".
Ms Phillipson told the publication: "These figures lay bare the stark realities facing hard-working parents, with expensive branded school wear pushing families into debt. It's a disgrace that families are being forced to choose between food, heating and the back-to-school shop, and it needs to stop.
"School uniform is a national tradition in this country, and it isn't going anywhere, but buying it shouldn't push families into hardship. That is why I am calling on schools ahead of the new term, urging them to start implementing these changes now. Parents know, and Sun readers know, this is common sense stuff. You don't need a posh blazer to learn your times tables."
She continued: "Cutting the cost of school uniforms is just one of the ways we're putting more money in parents' back pockets as part of our Plan for Change for the country. From free breakfast clubs to half a million more kids getting free school meals, I'm absolutely determined to make sure where a young person grows up does not determine what they go on to achieve."
The Department for Education has stated that these measures would save families £50 per child, based on the assumption that they bought all their clothes from specialist uniform shops.
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