New law to keep uniform costs down comes into force from September

A new law which should see the cost of school uniforms fall comes into effect from next month.

State schools will be made to remove unnecessary branded items from uniforms, allowing parents and guardian to shop around or hand clothes down more easily.

Currently, some schools ask that parents or guardians buy their children's uniforms from a specific supplier which can beexpensive, particularly for families with more than one child at school. The uniform bill was first introduced into the House of Commons last year by MP Mike Amesbury, who said previously:

"Families from across the country have told me how they've struggled to afford the cost of sending their children to school in the right uniform."

"Children whose families can't afford expensive uniforms can face isolation and in some cases, even exclusion for not wearing the right clothes.

"This common sense piece of legislation will now be able to help hard pressed families across England,".

Statutory guidance says that schools should also ensure that second-hand uniforms are available for parents and guardians.

The Children's Society said it estimates the average cost of school uniform this year to be £315 per primary pupil and £337 per secondary pupil.

The Government say that the law should help families to keep down costs, adding that "school uniform must never be a burden for parents or a barrier to pupils accessing education."