Have your say on school uniform costs

Are you paying a lot for your child’s school uniform? Do you think uniform policies are unfair? Citizens Advice is urging parents to share their views in an online survey, launched today on the national charity’s website at adviceguide.org.uk.

The quick and easy survey asks about the costs of uniforms, if parents have to buy uniform at expensive specialist suppliers, and if they fear it will be a financial struggle. Despite Government guidelines, many schools still insist on ‘designer’ items that have to be bought from exclusive suppliers rather than high street retailers or supermarkets.

The survey also asks parents if they are worried that their child might be disciplined by their school or bullied by their classmates for not having the right uniform.

Other questions aim to find out what help is offered by schools themselves and local authorities, and whether the cost of uniform influences where parents send their children to school.

The findings of the survey will be included in a report to be published this autumn and used to urge the Government to do more to strengthen existing guidance on making sure uniforms are affordable. Citizens Advice is also concerned that a child’s education can be affected if they are punished for not having the correct uniform because of cost.

Citizens Advice social policy officer Katie Lane said: “School uniforms can be very popular with both schools and parents but they can become a huge expense for families, particularly if you have more than one child needing uniform and PE kits when they start a new school. We see a lot of families on low incomes who find it a real struggle, and who fear their children may be excluded from normal school life as a result. Parents shouldn’t have to worry that their child might get bullied if they do not have the right uniform, or that their child’s schooling will be affected.

“The survey will give us an up-to-date picture of how families are coping or not coping with the cost of uniform and other costs like school trips, outings and other extras they are increasingly asked to pay for. It will also help us find out exactly what parents and guardians think and what help they are able to get. “

The survey can be completed at adviceguide.org.uk and will run until the end of July.

The adviceguide website also gives information about the help available to families struggling to meet school uniform costs, including from some local authorities and from the Horizons initiative.

Horizons is an initiative launched by Barclaycard which brings together the skills and experience of four national charities: Citizens Advice, Family Welfare Association, One Parent Families and Parentline Plus. For more information go to fwa.org.uk\horizons.html.