 Help with school uniform costs: update ( 79kb)
Conclusions and recommendations
In June 2004 the DfES published new guidance on school uniform for governors (who are responsible for setting uniform policy for individual schools), which Citizens Advice welcomes. The guidance states that when considering school uniform policy, governing bodies should give ‘high priority’ to cost considerations, and that ‘No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupil or their families feeling socially excluded’11. The guidance also states that the cost of a uniform should not deter parents from applying to the school of their choice. The guidance re-emphasises that clothing should be available ‘off the peg’, so parents can shop around for the most cost-effective option. The guidance also states that similar considerations should be made when setting rules for uniform for PE, and that schools should consult parents before introducing uniforms or amending the dress code.
In Wales, the National Assembly is responsible for issuing guidance on uniform. The Assembly issued a consultation document on the guidance for governors in December 2003 (to which Citizens Advice responded), and the Assembly is due to issue new guidance for schools in September 2004. The Minister will be seeking funding from the Assembly for a scheme to provide financial assistance to families to purchase school uniforms. The scheme would be available to families whose children are entitled to free school meals and would be introduced from September 2005.
In addition, the Minister has provided financial support for a low cost loan scheme to help parents purchase school uniforms through Wales Credit Unions. Launched in June 2004, the scheme will be offered to parents in four pilot areas. Assembly support has been provided through the Education Budget for 2004/05 to ensure that families are able to benefit.
In order to ensure these guidelines have some impact on policy in individual schools however, they need to be widely publicised and monitored. Citizens Advice has concerns that the current guidance is not adequately monitored however, and that individual school policies vary widely.
Without more decisive action being taken centrally it seems likely that the pattern of decline in availability of uniform grants will continue. When surveyed, a number of LEAs indicated that their schemes had fallen in value due to budgetary pressures, or were vulnerable to future cuts.
“We expected to put the value of the grants up this year, after looking at the price of uniforms, but then the budget was cut by two thirds, and it just wasn’t possible.”
“The conditions of eligibility were changed last year – they were restricted and now less people are able to claim the grant.”
“Our scheme looked likely to be scaled down this year – in the end it escaped the budget cut, but it’s always under threat. The grant for primary school pupils went several years ago.”
It is clear that action is needed at national level to safeguard these schemes and ensure they are extended to cover all children.
Uniform failure made numerous recommendations to the Government, DfES, to LEAs and to schools. As the provision of assistance to help with school uniform costs has changed since its publication, these recommendations are now more salient than ever.
- The Government should introduce a statutory duty on LEAs to meet minimum standards for providing school uniform grants. This will need to be backed up with earmarked funding within the education standard spending assessment. Minimum standards should cover eligibility criteria including the requirement to ensure they are kept up to date with benefit changes, levels of grants, publicity, payment methods and accessibility of the schemes.
- The Department for Education and Skills and the National Assembly for Wales should issue guidance on good practice on school uniform grant schemes incorporating a set of minimum standards Citizens Advice outlined in Uniform failure.
- LEAs that do not have school uniform grant schemes should introduce one which is consistent with minimum standards proposed by Citizens Advice.
- LEAs that do have school uniform grant schemes should review their present schemes against the minimum standards proposed by Citizens Advice service. In addition schools and LEAs should seek to improve co-ordination on LEA grant schemes and uniform policies in order that budgets could be better utilised. For example where vouchers are used it must be ensured that all schools’ uniforms can be purchased with them. LEAs should ensure that their grants are sufficiently advertised, so all eligible parents are aware of the help available.
We believe that the Government needs to address the issues of the costs associated with schooling and review the provision of assistance with school clothing through LEAs. We welcome the extensive research undertaken by the DfES on the costs of schooling that is due to report in the early autumn of 2004 and urge the Government to make full use of its findings to ensure that this aspect of child poverty and social exclusion is incorporated fully in the Government’s child poverty strategy.
Help with school uniform costs: update ( 79kb)
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