Lack of uniform rules compliance disappoints MP behind legislation

The legislation aimed to strengthen existing guidance encouraging schools to keep down costs

An MP who helped to draft legislation about the cost of uniforms has said hearing that schools have not complied with it was "incredibly disappointing".

Labour's Mike Amesbury worked with the government on new guidance which schools must comply with by September.

The Weaver Vale MP said the guidance stated that branding "should be kept to a minimum", but that was being ignored.

The Department for Education said it would work with schools to ensure uniform policies were "reasonable".

Mr Amesbury drafted the original bill which led to the new legislation after he topped a ballot allowing MPs to suggest ideas for new laws, known as private members' bills.

The statutory guidance to schools which resulted from the legislation stated that schools should "keep the use of branded items to a minimum".

Schools must have regard to the guidance when developing and implementing uniform policies.

The MP told BBC North West Tonight that branding and logos "should be kept to a minimum [but] it's just simply not the case".

He said there were "a considerable number of schools" requiring five or more branded items, which was "not my definition of minimum".

Danielle, who uses a clothing hub, said the cost of uniform was "just too much"

Petra Dye-Davies, from the Wirral-based charity Free Uniforms for School (FUSS), said the new guidance had made "a small difference" locally, but only three of the borough's 127 schools had reduced the number of branded uniform items.

She added that some schools had actually made their uniforms more expensive since the guidance came in by substituting plain garments for less affordable patterned clothing.

Danielle, who uses one of the charity's eight uniform hubs, said she had spent £50 buying items for her daughter when she began pre-school in September 2022.

"With the cost of living, it's just too much", she said.

She added that as a single parent who worked part-time, getting uniforms involved spending "a lot of extra cash I don't have".

Mr Amesbury drafted the original bill after he topped a ballot allowing MPs to suggest ideas for new laws

Fellow hub user Lauren said she would have had to spend £200 on primary school uniforms for her three children.

"It's just not doable at the minute with everything else you've got to pay for," she said.

The Department for Education said the guidance "came into effect [in the] last academic year and we expect all schools to be compliant by September 2023".

"We will continue to work with responsible bodies and schools to ensure the guidance is followed and uniform policies are reasonable," a representative added.