Devon MPs urged to back uniform bill

It could force schools to keep branded items to a minimum

All of Devon’s MP are being urged to back a bill designed to cut the cost of school uniforms in England.

Devon County Council on Thursday unanimously agreed to write to the county’s MPs and to urge them to active support and vote for Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury’s Private Members Bill to ensure it becomes enacted into law as soon as possible.

The legislation, which the Government has announced they intend to back, aims to strengthen existing guidance encouraging schools to keep down costs and could force schools to keep compulsory branded items, like blazers, to a minimum.

If enacted into law, it would give the Department for Education’s 2013 school uniform guidance, which demands value for money for families and discourages deals between schools and single uniform suppliers which restrict competition and drive up costs for parents, a statutory footing

The motion, put forward by Cllr Rob Hannaford, leader of the Labour Group, was unanimously supported at Thursday’s meeting.

Speaking on the motion, Cllr Hannaford said: “This would enable families to shop around and get cheaper school uniforms. We should help our families and move this forward and I hope all members vote for it.”

His motion said: “In August 2018, the Children’s Society published an update to the report, based on a survey of 1,000 parents, which highlighted uniform costs and the potential impact on children.

“The report, The Wrong Blazer 2018: Time for action on school uniform costs, revealed families are paying out more on school uniforms, with an average of £340 per year for each child at secondary school – an increase of 7% or £24 since 2015. Parents of primary school children spent on average £255 per year, an increase of 2% since 2015.

“The high cost of uniforms can be put down in part to school policies that make parents buy clothing from specialist shops rather than giving them the choice of buying items at cheaper stores such as supermarkets or high-street chains. Where parents have to buy two or more items of school uniform from a specific supplier, spending was found to be an average of £71 per year higher for secondary school children and £77 higher for primary school children.

“For children themselves, the cost of school uniform can have a serious impact. Around one in 10 parents said it had led to their child wearing uniform that didn’t fit properly, and more than one in 20 said that their child had been sent home for wearing the wrong clothes or shoes as a result of them struggling to afford the cost.

“The council are asked to formally write to all Members of Parliament in the Devon County Council area and to urge them to actively support and vote for this Private Members Bill, through all its parliamentary stages to ensure that it is enacted into law at the earliest opportunity.” The 2013 guidance instructs schools to “give highest priority to the consideration of cost and value for money for parents” when sourcing uniforms, however, schools face no consequences if they don’t follow it.

But if the bill is passed into law, schools will have a legal duty to follow the guidance, and require them to demonstrate that they have achieved value for money for parents.

The second reading of the bill is due to take place on March 13, and due to that timescale, councillors agreed that rather than the normal process of referring the motion to cabinet, it be debated on the today.

Councillors unanimously agreed to back Cllr Hannaford’s motion.