Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the statutory guidance entitled Cost of school uniforms, published on 19 November 2021, what steps he is taking to monitor the requirement for school governing boards to be compliant with the guidance by September 2022.

The government published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms on 19 November 2021, to ensure the cost is reasonable and secures the best value for money for parents. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

School governing boards are responsible for ensuring they are compliant with the guidance. The department expects schools to be taking steps towards this. All schools should review their current uniform policy to determine if any changes are required. Governing boards should be compliant with much of the guidance by September 2022, and fully compliant by summer 2023.

School leaders and governing boards are used to complying with appropriate legislation and statutory guidance. The department does not monitor every school to check their compliance with the guidance, but we continue to engage with schools to ensure that they are aware of their obligation to comply with the guidance. Through this, the department is aware that the sector is taking steps to respond to the guidance.

If a parent has a concern about a school’s uniform policy, the department encourages them to raise this with the school in the first instance, including via the school’s published complaints procedure where necessary. If, having gone through the school’s complaints process, parents feel the school has not adequately addressed their concerns, they may then raise this with the department.