Hundreds of Dudley and Stourbridge parents being forced to move children to new schools following controversial closures will get a cash boost of up to £50 for uniforms.
Education chiefs say they will reimburse the cost of having to provide new clothes such as jumpers, shirts and ties for youngsters transferring schools.
The news will come as a big boost for mothers and fathers, especially single parents, who would have been left with the burden of buying new uniforms.
The move follows the primary school review which meant Highfields in Coseley, Holt Farm in Halesowen and Sycamore Green in Dudley were told to shut their doors.
Many pupils have also moved from closure-threatened Beauty Bank Primary School in Stourbridge and will need uniforms.
Dudley Council’s assistant director of children’s services Ray Watson said: “Every school taking in children from any of the three closed schools has been given additional funds as a contribution to the cost of new uniforms for these pupils.
“We have budgeted for a maximum of £50 per child and the detailed arrangements will vary from school to school.
“This contribution has been made to support parents with the additional financial cost of moving school and to ensure all children in the borough start the new term fully equipped.”
Beauty Bank campaigner Samantha Wooldridge said the burden of buying school uniforms would be lifted thanks to the council’s cash.
But Mrs Wooldridge, whose two children Natasha, aged eight, and Connor, 10, are moving to Wollaston’s St James’s School, said there was a worry the cash would not be available.
She added: “It would obviously have been better if we had been given tokens or something like that rather than having to take the receipts into the school but it is better than nothing.”
Sycamore Green parent Julie Roberts said: “It will make the move a lot easier.”
By Kieran Larkin
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