Information: cost of school uniforms

Schools will be aware that the Department for Education published new statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms in November 2021.

Schools should be compliant with much of the guidance by September 2022. The ‘requirements for schools’ section sets out the actions that schools need to take before parents seek to purchase or acquire uniform items in summer 2022.

This includes a requirement for schools to make sure that second-hand uniforms are available for parents to acquire (either from the school directly or from an established scheme). While schools can decide the particular method they are going to use to make the provision of second-hand uniforms available, all schools should ensure that information on second-hand uniform is clear for parents of current and prospective pupils and published on the school’s website.

DfE expect schools to be engaging with parents and pupils to ensure that any required changes are in place ahead of September 2022.