Poll: Are school uniforms too costly?

Parents are shelling out hundreds of pounds on school uniform, with many poor families ending up in debt or forced to cut back on basic essentials just to pay for items, according to research.

Hundreds of thousands of youngsters are sent to school wearing ill-fitting clothes because their parents cannot afford to keep replacing them, while many more have been sent home from lessons for wearing "incorrect" uniform.

School uniform policies risk dividing pupils into the "haves and have-nots", leaving those without the right kit at risk of bullying and embarrassment, the Children's Society report warned.

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The findings, based on a poll of around 1,000 parents, found that 95% of mothers and fathers think school uniform costs are "unreasonable".

On average, families with school-age children spend £316 a year on average on items for a child at a state secondary and £251 annually on average for a youngster at a state primary.

Shoes were the most expensive item at £56 on average for secondary school children and £53 for primary age youngsters, followed by coats and bags (£55 for secondary and £44 for primary).

Blazers set parents with secondary school children back £42 on average, and £32 for those with youngsters at primary school.

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An analysis by the charity suggests that nearly 800,000 pupils go to school in poorly-fitting uniform because their parents cannot afford to keep buying new items, while a further 400,000 have been sent home for wearing "incorrect" clothes.

And around a quarter of a million have had their school chosen based on the cost of its uniform.

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One parent said: "My oldest daughter, they sent her home and said she wasn't allowed to come back until she had the correct shoes. So then I had to write a letter to say that we'll be able to get some in a week or so, I didn't have any money."

And another told researchers: "School uniform is a constant source of anxiety. I am not ashamed of being poor but I always want my children to look as well cared for as others. I go without so my children can always have what is needed."

"In many cases, parents have to cut back on other essentials in order to afford uniform costs," the report says. "More than one million children live in families that have cut back spending on food or other basic essentials as a result of the cost of school uniforms. More than half a million are living in families that have got into debt as a result of uniform costs."

One of the key reasons for high uniform spending are policies that force parents to buy specific items from specialist shops. Families who had to shop in a specific place saw costs pushed up by £48 on average for secondary school children and £93 for primary school pupils.

According to the Children's Society's calculations, in total parents pay around £2.1 billion a year on school clothes - around £1.3 billion more than the amount mothers and fathers think would be "reasonable".

Overall, private school uniform costs were the highest, the report found, followed by grammar schools and local council-run state schools.

The charity is calling for Government guidance, which says uniform should be affordable, to be made statutory and reissued to schools.

The Government should also look at capping the cost of uniforms, it adds.

Lily Caprani, of the Children's Society, said: "We know that children whose parents cannot afford the cost of specialist uniforms face punishment and bullying for not having exactly the right clothes or kit. It's time for the Government to introduce legally binding rules to stop schools from making parents pay over the odds for items available only at specialist shops."

The Opinium Research poll surveyed 1,007 UK parents of school age children between January 23 and 27.

Matthew Easter, chair of The Schoolwear Association said: "Research shows that school uniform is good for schools, families and students. It is linked to better learning and good behaviour, and most parents and teachers are in favour of it.

"High quality uniform, as typically provided by independent suppliers, lasts longer than cheap off-the-shelf garments."

He added: "Quality school uniform does the job that a uniform is supposed to do, making everyone smart, equal and ready to learn. That is why more and more schools are adopting smarter and better quality uniforms."

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "We have made clear to schools that they should keep uniform costs to a minimum and prioritise value for money for parents. This includes making it clear that schools should avoid frequent changes to uniform.

"We are aware that the cost of school uniform is a worry for some parents and we continue to discuss the issue with the sector so that no child is disadvantaged because of this."