Department for Education

Mobile phones have no place in schools.

Research from the Children’s Commissioner, published in April 2025, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools, 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools, already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.

The department’s recently strengthened guidance on mobile phones in schools is clear that all schools should be mobile phone-free by default. Pupils should not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times, or between lessons.

The guidance will be implemented through behaviour management in schools, and by setting out clear expectations for teachers and school staff. Our attendance and behaviour hub lead schools will support other schools to implement and enforce a mobile phone policy where needed.

From April, Ofsted will also check school mobile phone policy on every inspection, with schools expected to be mobile phone-free by default. Ofsted will examine both schools' mobile phone policies and how effectively they are implemented when judging behaviour during inspections.

We have future-proofed our maintenance offer by confirming that we will increase maintenance loans in line with forecast inflation every academic year. This will provide students with long-term financial certainty on the support they will receive while studying and ensure that students from the lowest income families receive the largest year-on-year cash increases in support. Maximum loans for living costs for undergraduate students will increase by 2.71% for the 2026/27 academic year.

From 2028/29, maintenance grants will support full-time students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions. The grants will provide disadvantaged full-time students with up to £1,000 extra per year on top of existing maintenance loans, increasing cash for students without increasing their debt.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Given the inherited fiscal situation, the government is making tough but necessary decisions to protect both taxpayers and students. The government continuously reviews student finance to ensure it remains fair, sustainable, and supportive of students from all backgrounds.

Prospective students have access to a wide range of information across a range of platforms before they submit their loan application. Student loan terms and conditions make clear that the conditions of the loan may change in line with the relevant regulations and students sign these terms and conditions before any money is paid to them. Having access to this information early in the process enables prospective borrowers to seek independent advice if they feel they do not understand aspects of the student loan process, or to better understand the longer-term commitment of a student loan.

The government are committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university.

The government currently provides three mean-tested dependants’ grants that low-income students with childcare and/or caring responsibilities can apply for in addition to the regular package of maintenance and tuition fee loans. These are intended to reflect the greater costs that recipients face when going to university, providing a level playing field for students who face additional barriers to study.

From 2028/29, we will also reintroduce maintenance grants to support full-time students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and Industrial Strategy. The grants will provide disadvantaged full-time students with up to £1,000 extra per year, on top of existing maintenance loans, increasing cash for students without increasing their debt.

The majority of children and young with hearing impairments are already taught in mainstream schools and we aim to improve inclusivity and expertise in these schools further. In addition to requiring those teaching children with sensory impairment to hold the relevant Mandatory Qualification in Sensory Impairment, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has launched a Sensory Impairment apprenticeship route into the school workforce.

Early years settings, schools and colleges have clear legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled children and young people, including those with hearing impairments, are not placed at a substantial disadvantage. Making these adjustments is central to ensuring full participation in school life and delivering high-quality, inclusive education.

To help schools meet these duties, we are improving the clarity and practicality of guidance on reasonable adjustments. This includes developing more accessible tools and examples with partners such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Information about business rates, including changes that will come into effect on 1 April 2026, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates.

As universities are independent of government, they are responsible for understanding the potential impact of these changes and ensuring their business models enable them to address emerging risks effectively.

The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring the sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.

While the sector is autonomous, this government is committed to creating a secure future for our world-leading sector so it can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. Our decision to raise tuition fees annually in line with inflation, alongside refocusing the OfS on monitoring the sector’s financial health, demonstrates this commitment.

The department will work closely with colleagues at the Department for Health and Social Care and with parents and carers, to develop a fast-track route to support children under five years old with the most complex special educational needs to access the support they and their families need to achieve and thrive in early education. This will include exploring options to trial such a process ahead of legislation.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector. These data are shared with the department and include a wide range of information on students in UK higher education providers (HEPs), including their country of domicile.

Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, the proportion of students who are international in UK HE has ranged from 22% in 2020/21, to a peak of 26% in 2022/23. Since this peak, the proportion has decreased year on year, to 24% in 2024/25.

Year on year detailed table available below. Note that data provided is for all UK HE providers. The data source link to the table is: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb273/figure-9.

Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating staff pay and terms and conditions within colleges.

In May 2025, the department announced a further £190 million investment for colleges and other 16 to 19 providers, in addition to the £400 million of extra funding we already planned to spend on 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year.

In October 2025, the department announced plans to go further in the 2026/27 financial year. From the Spending Review settlement, we will invest nearly £800 million extra on top of the original £400 million announced in 2025/26.

This significant investment will support the recruitment and retention of expert teachers in high value subject areas, and interventions to retain top teaching talent.

Targeted Recruitment Incentives of up to £6,000 (after tax) are available for eligible early career FE teachers working in key science, technology, engineering and maths and technical shortage subjects, in colleges, including in sixth form colleges. This is separate to teacher salaries.

The government recognises that the financial environment of the higher education (HE) sector is challenging for both providers and for their staff. We are aware that some providers are making difficult decisions around staffing in order to safeguard their financial sustainability, including in relation to pension arrangements.

As providers are independent, the government does not routinely collect information regarding pay and workforce matters in HE. However, we remain committed to engaging with both HE unions and the employer body to better understand the issues affecting the sector, including the workforce.

Furthermore, we appreciate both the impact of the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate on providers and that defined benefit pensions are highly valued by staff across the sector. As set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the government is therefore seeking to better understand concerns within the post-1992 HE sector regarding pension provision.

The government’s role in relation to pay and conditions across schools and colleges differs.

The statutory requirements for teachers' pay and conditions within maintained schools in England are set out in the ‘School teachers’ pay and conditions’ document. This is updated each year, based on recommendations from the independent School Teachers’ Review Body.

In 2023/24, the median Full Time Equivalent (FTE) salary for classroom teachers in secondary schools was £47,666.

Further education (FE) colleges were incorporated under the terms of the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act, which gave them autonomy over the pay of their staff. The government does not set or recommend college teacher pay.

In 2023/24, the median FTE average salary for teaching staff on permanent or fixed term contracts in general further education colleges was £36,316 and £47,133 in sixth form colleges.

The school and FE pay figures are sourced from different datasets and recorded differently which may make it difficult to make direct comparisons.

Claims for national non-domestic rates for schools are processed on a reactive basis by the department, once all claims have been submitted for payment. Claims can be made and adjusted for up to six years, which means that levels of payment and reimbursement for the 2024/25 financial year will continue to be subject to change. The department is therefore not yet able to provide a final figure for the 2024/25 financial year.

Regarding the change in business rates liability between the 2024/25 and 2026/27 financial years, the department does not hold a central estimate on changes between financial years. This is because payments are made on a reactive basis and will continue to be subject to change, depending on the rates that the Valuation Office Agency and billing authorities charge to individual schools.

Claims for national non-domestic rates for schools are processed on a reactive basis by the department, once all claims have been submitted for payment. Claims can be made and adjusted for up to six years, which means that levels of payment and reimbursement for the 2024/25 financial year will continue to be subject to change. The department is therefore not yet able to provide a final figure for the 2024/25 financial year.

Regarding the change in business rates liability between the 2024/25 and 2026/27 financial years, the department does not hold a central estimate on changes between financial years. This is because payments are made on a reactive basis and will continue to be subject to change, depending on the rates that the Valuation Office Agency and billing authorities charge to individual schools.

The department allocates the bulk of 16 to 19 bursary funding in advance for institutions to make discretionary bursary awards to students.

For mainstream schools and academies, allocations are made to individual institutions. Each local authority-maintained school, or academy within a multi-academy trust, will get its own allocation from the department. It is up to these organisations how to allocate this funding.

Calculations for an institution’s discretionary bursary funding are based on data around the financial needs and costs faced by its students. The methodology for calculating discretionary bursary allocations has two elements:

• Element One: financial disadvantage is based on students’ home postcodes, matched against the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

• Element Two: student costs is intended to provide a general indicator of the main costs faced by students. It includes funding for travel costs by using the rurality of the student’s home postcode and the delivery location of their learning, together with funding for industry placement costs for students on T Levels.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. The Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, sets out a balanced approach that helps the government achieve our manifesto commitment on reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.

The Office for Students (OfS) has identified a reliance on international student fee income as a risk to English providers’ financial sustainability. It has been clear that providers will need to change their business models to protect their financial health as a response to this risk and others. As higher education (HE) providers are independent from government, they are responsible for managing their finances.

To support the English HE sector, the government has increased tuition fee caps in line with inflation and has asked the OfS to focus on financial sustainability. The financial sustainability of providers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administrations.

Ofsted’s school inspection toolkit makes clear that inspectors will consider the extent to which special educational needs (SEN) information reports are easily accessible when gathering evidence about special education needs and disabilities (SEND).

As set out in our proposals for SEND reform, schools will be required to detail the support they provide through a new duty to produce an inclusion strategy. This will ultimately replace the current duty to produce SEN information reports. Schools will be required to ensure this report is easily accessible, so that parents and local partners can understand how inclusion is being delivered.

Through its inspection framework, Ofsted will assess how leaders ensure the inclusion strategy is embedded in practice, and how staff are equipped to deliver it.

We have proposed the creation of new National Inclusion Standards for the first time, based on evidence, to inform best practice in identifying barriers and meeting needs. We will work with Ofsted to ensure that these standards inform its inspections in the future.

The consultation for these reforms is underway and we would encourage anyone with views on SEN information reports or our inclusion strategy proposals to participate.

Ofsted’s school inspection toolkit makes clear that inspectors will consider the extent to which special educational needs (SEN) information reports are easily accessible when gathering evidence about special education needs and disabilities (SEND).

As set out in our proposals for SEND reform, schools will be required to detail the support they provide through a new duty to produce an inclusion strategy. This will ultimately replace the current duty to produce SEN information reports. Schools will be required to ensure this report is easily accessible, so that parents and local partners can understand how inclusion is being delivered.

Through its inspection framework, Ofsted will assess how leaders ensure the inclusion strategy is embedded in practice, and how staff are equipped to deliver it.

We have proposed the creation of new National Inclusion Standards for the first time, based on evidence, to inform best practice in identifying barriers and meeting needs. We will work with Ofsted to ensure that these standards inform its inspections in the future.

The consultation for these reforms is underway and we would encourage anyone with views on SEN information reports or our inclusion strategy proposals to participate.

This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.

The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.

This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.

The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.

This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.

The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.

Our ‘Giving every child the best start in life’ strategy outlines how we will invest in supporting children’s language and literacy, including continued funding for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention and the introduction of specialist early language leads in local areas from the 2026/27 academic year.

The national rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, underpinned by £500 million of government investment to help families in every part of the country. This includes increased investment in home learning and parenting support in the early years, enhancing support for families through integrated advice, targeted outreach and partnerships to empower more parents and carers to chat, play, and read with their children every day to nurture early reading skills and language development from birth.

Our National Year of Reading 2026 aims to address long-term decline in reading enjoyment and is focused particularly on priority groups including boys aged 10 to 16, parents from disadvantaged communities, and early years children and their caregivers.

This government is providing £5 million of funding for secondary schools to purchase books to encourage reading for pleasure, and over £10 million to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this Parliament.

This government is committed to safeguarding children and protecting them from harm across all extracurricular activities. Local authorities have legal safeguarding duties towards children in their areas and, where concerns arise, we expect them to intervene using the wide range of powers available to them.

The department also works closely with regions, including in Somerset and Yeovil, to support the delivery of these duties. To help ensure all children can receive safe and enriching education and activities, we launched a Call for Evidence seeking to better understand current practice and invite views on possible approaches to further strengthen safeguarding.

​The department intends to supplement the Call for Evidence with further engagement, including focus groups with parents and smaller providers, and sector roundtables with safeguarding experts, national governing bodies and other community representatives, before issuing a full response in due course.

The payment represents a contribution towards the capital costs of developing the school site, as has happened with a number of free school projects. It is included within an agreement with the local authority, signed prior to the commencement of the pipeline review. This contribution did not form part of the decision-making process.

The Office for National Statistics has undertaken a substantial programme of work over the past two years to enhance how inflation is measured and this will be carried over into student loans. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that from 2030, at the earliest, movements in RPI will be aligned with CPIH as viewed here: https://obr.uk/box/the-long-run-difference-between-rpi-and-cpi-inflation/.

I refer the hon. Member for Rutland and Stamford to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115304.

The department and HM Treasury discuss matters relating to school funding on an ongoing basis. These conversations are supported by government analysis relating to school funding, some of which is in the public domain.

New burdens assessments are required when a department’s actions meet the government definition of a new burden, ensuring that the financial impact on local authorities is estimated for at least the first three years and fully funded by the relevant department.

The Ministry of Defence will lead on developing a new burdens assessment in relation to the new Legal Duty extending the Armed Forces Covenant.

Education is a devolved matter, and therefore it is a matter for the devolved administrations to decide how they wish to develop their higher education systems. It is for the Welsh government to develop their own equalities impact assessment for borrowers in Wales.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and departmental officials regularly engage with Cabinet colleagues and external bodies on a range of matters, including higher education (HE) finance and funding.

We are determined that the HE funding system should deliver for students, for our economy, and for universities. The government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers.

Borrowers will be liable to repay after leaving study once their earnings exceed the earnings threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. Unlike commercial loans, student loans carry significant protections for borrowers and student loan repayments are linked to income, rather than the amount borrowed or interest applied.

If a borrower’s income drops below the repayment threshold, or they are not earning, their repayments will stop. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.

HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to private school fees. This is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees.

The department continues to engage with private school providers, including smaller schools, and representative organisations to ensure they are aware of the requirements outlined in the TIIN.

HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to private school fees. This is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees.

The department continues to engage with private school providers, including smaller schools, and representative organisations to ensure they are aware of the requirements outlined in the TIIN.

I refer the hon. Member for Maidenhead to the answer of 09 March 2025 to Question 114997.

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and strengthens safeguarding requirements across early years settings, including nurseries and childcare centres.

In September 2025, we implemented changes to the early years foundation stage statutory framework to strengthen safeguarding requirements across early years settings. These changes include enhanced expectations on safer recruitment, child absences, safer eating, safeguarding training and whistleblowing.

The department works closely with local authorities and other safeguarding partners to strengthen multi-agency safeguarding. Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are seeking to require the automatic involvement of education and childcare settings in local safeguarding arrangements, ensuring their views are represented.

In addition, we have appointed an expert panel to inform the development of guidance for the early years sector on the use of digital devices and CCTV within safeguarding. This guidance is due to be published in the autumn and will set out best practice, technical information and clear expectations for providers.

The department is monitoring policies put in place in other countries, including Australia, and we are working with counterparts there to share learnings and best practice. Ministers at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will also be visiting Australia to understand the approach taken.

Last month, the government announced a package of measures to improve children’s relationship with mobile phones and social media, including a commitment to produce evidence-based screen time guidance for parents of children aged 5 to 16. This builds on ongoing work to develop screen time guidance for parents 0 to 5 year-olds.

The government also announced that we will be launching a consultation and national conversation on further measures to ensure technology is enriching children’s lives. The consultation will include exploring the option of banning social media for children below a certain age, alongside a range of other measures.

All duty bearers, including departments and arm’s-length bodies, are expected to follow the law as clarified by the Supreme Court ruling. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has underlined this recently.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has submitted a draft Code of Practice on services, public functions and associations to Ministers. This is being carefully reviewed by the Cabinet Office and will provide further guidance to duty bearers.

I cannot comment on the Judicial Review of Oak National Academy, which is ongoing.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We want to make sure that every family that needs support can access it.

Local authorities are responsible for managing their own processes for identifying children eligible for free school meals. We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage eligible families to register.

By introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals so that all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be eligible for free school meals from the start of the 2026/27 academic year, this will make it much easier for local authorities, schools and parents to know which children are entitled to receive free meals. Our improvements to the digital system used to review eligibility will also make it easier for parents to understand their entitlement.

As with all government policies, we continue to keep free school meals under review.

The government will provide access to NHS-funded Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in every school by 2029.

As of April 2025, 47% of pupils in primary schools and 70% in secondary schools were covered by an MHST. Further data for 2024/25 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. This has been available since 16 May 2025 at national, regional and local authority level, and since 10 July 2025 at constituency level. Around six in ten pupils nationally are expected to have access to an MHST by April 2026.

MHSTs supplement existing pastoral provision, and schools retain the freedom to determine support based on pupil need, making best use of their funding.

To support education staff, the department provides guidance and practical resources on supporting pupils’ mental health, including a resource hub for mental health leads and a toolkit to select evidence-based targeted support.

Assessments made in relation to the limit on branded school uniform and physical education kit contained in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB) have been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.

The department has also assessed the impact of a cost cap versus a numeric limit on branded uniform items and found a cost cap would be complex, difficult to enforce and burdensome for schools. In contrast a numeric limit is clear, simpler, and will deliver savings for parents more quickly. It remains the best approach for driving down the costs of uniform.

The department published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms last autumn to allow schools to prepare for September 2026 and have committed to updating it following Royal Assent for the CWSB. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

This measure does not remove the ability for schools to set their own uniform requirements. We strongly encourage schools to have a uniform, as it can play a key role in promoting the ethos of a school, providing a sense of belonging and identity and setting an appropriate tone for education.

Assessments made in relation to the limit on branded school uniform and physical education kit contained in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB) have been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.

The department has also assessed the impact of a cost cap versus a numeric limit on branded uniform items and found a cost cap would be complex, difficult to enforce and burdensome for schools. In contrast a numeric limit is clear, simpler, and will deliver savings for parents more quickly. It remains the best approach for driving down the costs of uniform.

The department published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms last autumn to allow schools to prepare for September 2026 and have committed to updating it following Royal Assent for the CWSB. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

This measure does not remove the ability for schools to set their own uniform requirements. We strongly encourage schools to have a uniform, as it can play a key role in promoting the ethos of a school, providing a sense of belonging and identity and setting an appropriate tone for education.

Assessments made in relation to the limit on branded school uniform and physical education kit contained in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB) have been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.

The department has also assessed the impact of a cost cap versus a numeric limit on branded uniform items and found a cost cap would be complex, difficult to enforce and burdensome for schools. In contrast a numeric limit is clear, simpler, and will deliver savings for parents more quickly. It remains the best approach for driving down the costs of uniform.

The department published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms last autumn to allow schools to prepare for September 2026 and have committed to updating it following Royal Assent for the CWSB. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

This measure does not remove the ability for schools to set their own uniform requirements. We strongly encourage schools to have a uniform, as it can play a key role in promoting the ethos of a school, providing a sense of belonging and identity and setting an appropriate tone for education.

Assessments made in relation to the limit on branded school uniform and physical education kit contained in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB) have been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.

The department has also assessed the impact of a cost cap versus a numeric limit on branded uniform items and found a cost cap would be complex, difficult to enforce and burdensome for schools. In contrast a numeric limit is clear, simpler, and will deliver savings for parents more quickly. It remains the best approach for driving down the costs of uniform.

The department published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms last autumn to allow schools to prepare for September 2026 and have committed to updating it following Royal Assent for the CWSB. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

This measure does not remove the ability for schools to set their own uniform requirements. We strongly encourage schools to have a uniform, as it can play a key role in promoting the ethos of a school, providing a sense of belonging and identity and setting an appropriate tone for education.

Assessments made in relation to the limit on branded school uniform and physical education kit contained in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB) have been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.

The department has also assessed the impact of a cost cap versus a numeric limit on branded uniform items and found a cost cap would be complex, difficult to enforce and burdensome for schools. In contrast a numeric limit is clear, simpler, and will deliver savings for parents more quickly. It remains the best approach for driving down the costs of uniform.

The department published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms last autumn to allow schools to prepare for September 2026 and have committed to updating it following Royal Assent for the CWSB. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

This measure does not remove the ability for schools to set their own uniform requirements. We strongly encourage schools to have a uniform, as it can play a key role in promoting the ethos of a school, providing a sense of belonging and identity and setting an appropriate tone for education.