Commenting as the DfE today (Fri 19 Nov) announce new statutory guidance requiring schools to keep uniform costs down, James Bowen, director of policy for school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

"It’s important to remember that a large number of schools already work extremely hard to ensure that their uniform is affordable for families. Many schools also run schemes to provide support for families who might be struggling with the cost of uniform.

"That being said, we fully support the move to ensure that uniform remains as affordable as possible in every school. We know that an increasing number of families have come under financial pressure due to the pandemic, so measures that could reduce the cost of uniform are certainly welcome."