Breaking the Uniform Barrier: Urgent Call for Change in School Uniform Policies
On the 28th June 2023 we wrote to Brighton and Hove Senior school and education leaders to voice our concerns about school uniform policy.
Dear Brighton and Hove Senior School and Education Leaders,
We are sure that you are aware of the recent Children's Society claims that despite changes to the Education Act designed to make school uniforms more affordable for family’s parents are still being forced to spend on average £422 a year on secondary and £287 on primary uniforms.
An additional claim was that branded items cost even more and Class Divide estimate that it would cost a family in Whitehawk £340 to buy the bare minimum uniform requirement for a Y7 pupil in September at our catchment area school. This cost includes a branded blazer that start at £37.25 and a branded PE kit starting at £45 for a girl (top, skort and socks) and £39 for a boy (top, shorts, and socks).
Given the current cost of living crisis engulfing local families Class Divide consider this completely unacceptable and we suggest this is a huge stressor for families who have no idea where they are going to find the money to purchase essential uniform items.
We know that as a senior leader in our city you take the education of our children seriously and would not want uniform costs to act as another barrier that children from our community face in access to school. Parents and carers are, however, telling us that this is the situation they are currently facing, and we call on you to take a leadership role on this issue and direct schools immediately to remove any requirement for any branded items of school unform from their school uniform policy.
We understand that some schools will be tied into contracts with school uniform providers and in those circumstances, we ask that schools do not police uniform or punish children not wearing branded items.
We also know that there are some brilliant organisations working hard to provide second hand school uniforms to children. We applaud these organisations commitment and think that second hand or repurposed uniform is good for the environment and sustainability however it should not be the case as it is now that many poorer children have no option but to wear second hand uniform to school.
We look forward to hearing your response on this urgent issue.
Yours sincerely,
Class Divide
We received replies and an offer of a meeting to discuss these issues from Jack Davies at BACA, Bill Holland at Longhill, Cllr Jacob Taylor and Cllr Gill Williams.
We’ll keep you updated.