Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues academy trusts on implementing uniform policies.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance for all publicly funded schools, including academies, to support them in developing and implementing their school uniform policy. It covers a range of issues relating to uniform including supporting schools in meeting their obligations under equalities legislation. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

In addition, schools and their governing boards must have regard to statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms, also issued by the department. The guidance outlines the cost considerations which schools should consider when developing uniform policies and managing their uniform supplier arrangements. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms.

However, the government knows that too many families still struggle with the costs of school uniform. That’s why in the Kings Speech the new government legislated to go further and cut the cost of uniforms for families, by legislating to limit the number of branded items of uniform and physical education kits that a school can require. The statutory guidance will be updated to reflect this limit at the appropriate time.