Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to put guidance on school uniform supply on a statutory basis as set out in the HM Treasury 2015 report A Better Deal.

Decisions on school uniform, including how this is sourced, are made by the governing body (or academy trust) of the school, but our existing guidance is clear that, when setting their uniform policies, schools should keep costs to a minimum and ensure the uniform is affordable for everyone.

The guidance also reminds schools of their obligation under Human Rights and Equalities legislation, as well as highlighting the legal requirement for schools to have a complaints process in place. Parents who have concerns about a school’s uniform policy can use this process to raise these with the school. If parents continue to have concerns, they can raise these with the Department.

We intend to put this guidance on a statutory footing when a suitable legislative opportunity arises.