188体育

Parents of over 4 million children are set to benefit from lower school uniform costs, new government analysis has found.

As the government鈥檚 landmark proceeds in the House of Lords this week, analysis shows new laws will wipe over 拢70 million off the cost of uniform for families across the country.

It comes as a new survey shows a third of parents are still worried about uniform costs, with 1 in 5 schools said to have actually increased the number of branded items required over the past year.

While currently schools are required to 鈥榣imit鈥� the number of branded items they require, today鈥檚 survey shows almost half are not doing so.

Parents are having to pay 拢442 on average to kit a child out for secondary school, and 拢343 for primary school, putting unnecessary financial pressure on families.

To cut those costs for families and break down barriers as part of the government鈥檚 Plan for Change,聽new proposed laws will limit the number of branded, typically more expensive, items schools can require to 3 - excluding ties.

Lowering uniform costs is just one of the measures in the Children鈥檚 Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will strengthen safeguards for vulnerable children, put more money back in parents鈥� pockets including through free breakfast clubs, and bring every school up to the standard of the best.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

Looking smart at school shouldn鈥檛 cost the earth, and no parent should be forced to choose between buying family essentials and a school shirt or tie.

Alongside our free breakfast clubs, these new laws will save parents hundreds of pounds a year, and make sure family finances have no bearing on children鈥檚 time at school.

This bill is about keeping children safe, saving parents money and bringing every school up to the standard of the best,聽so we can break down barriers to opportunity and deliver our Plan for Change.

The new uniform laws will save some parents 拢50 a year in their back-to-school shop, which alongside the measure to introduce free breakfast clubs in all schools, will put 拢500 back into the pockets of parents.聽

Today鈥檚 analysis shows parents of an estimated 4.2 million pupils across聽8,000 schools will have more flexibility to choose where they purchase their school uniform with the introduction of the cap.

Uniform can create a sense of identity and pride for pupils but it can also be a source of anxiety and in some cases even impacts school attendance.

Lynn Perry MBE, CEO of Barnardo鈥檚, said:

Barnardo鈥檚 welcomes the cap to the number of branded uniform items required by schools. It cannot be right that children are going to school wearing ill-fitted clothes or shoes due to the high cost of uniforms 鈥� but, as high prices continue to impact families, it鈥檚 yet another essential item that parents are struggling to afford.

We look forward to seeing even bolder action in the upcoming child poverty strategy to tackle the number of children growing up in poverty.

Existing statutory guidance on school uniform means all schools must consider and aim to minimise the cost on parents - but the new cap on branded items will take this even further.

This government is determined to deliver on its Plan for Change to break the link between background and success 鈥� because a child鈥檚 background should not be what shapes their future.