Birmingham primary school in uniform U-turn amid the cost of living crisis

The debate around the price of school uniforms has been reignited as a Birmingham primary was forced into a U-turn over its embroidered jumpers.

Pegasus Primary School in Castle Vale held back plans to enforce logo-only jumpers and cardigans for next year after receiving a fiery response from parents. The specific school-embroidered jumper or cardigan would cost between £9.50 and £15 per item depending on size.

Before term ended leaders at the school had issued a letter to mums, dads and carers informing them that from September 2023, pupils must wear a specific school-embroidered.

But the uniform roll-out ahead of the new school year led to a fierce response from parents who hit out at the school for not allowing cheaper alternatives given the cost-of-living crisis. The school has now put the plans on hold until Autumn for further consultations to take place.

Mum Frankie Dainty said: “I’m still totally against it. It’s totally unacceptable in a cost of living crisis and, on top of rent, food and bills going up, a school is now looking to put extra pressure on families. This is a council estate and you’re talking about jumpers at £9.50 knowing full well we’re going to have to buy four or five of them. It’s not on.”

Prior to the school’s dramatic U-turn another mum, Lilly Capper, commented: “It’s £14 each for my son’s jumper and I have two boys that go to the school. It’s very expensive in my opinion. My boys are always losing their jumpers in school as well so imagine buying a few expensive jumpers just for them to be lost or ruined. We’re in a living crisis and they want us to buy £14 jumpers which I would have to buy for both of my boys.”

Another parent, who preferred to remain anonymous, also added: “It’s £9.50 per jumper. It’s absolutely shocking with the cost of living crisis, while the same school cancelled Christmas jumper day last year because parents simply couldn’t afford to spend money on a new festive jumper.

“I think it’s absolutely disgusting paying £9.50 for one jumper or cardigan when you can go to George at Asda and get a pack of two for £7 or a pack of five for £12.50. It’s shocking.”

Following the original letter sent out to parents, Pegasus Primary School did state how they were willing to purchase one jumper or cardigan per child to help with uniform costs. However, given the uproar surrounding making the more expensive, logo-only jumpers and cardigans compulsory, school chiefs backtracked on their original decision last week (on July 19), informing parents that children can now wear plain jumpers up until the autumn term before a final decision is made.

In a letter addressed to parents, chair of governors Danielle Owen said: “We are aware of some concerns that have been raised around one element of the uniform code previously shared ahead of September 2023. We have listened to feedback and, as a result, we are extending the consultation period into the autumn term to allow a full consultation to take place around the proposed sweatshirt or cardigan for all children.

“We are keen to hear from as many of you as possible and want to reassure you that every parent and carer will be listened to and their views will be taken into account when reaching a final decision. We are mindful that there has been some misunderstanding around our proposals and the rationale for wanting to raise standards for our children who deserve only the very best. The consultation in the autumn term will allow all parents and carers to consider our proposals with the full, correct information available.”

The letter confirmed the school’s jumper and cardigan U-turn, stating: “From September 2023, children may wear the new Pegasus sweatshirts or cardigans, but this will not be mandatory.”

According to the UK Government website it states how ‘schools are advised to limit any branding to long-lasting or low-cost items’. In a statement responding to complaints from parents, a spokesman for Pegasus Primary School said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting families and further improving standards, we are introducing a single item of branded uniform in the form of a sweatshirt.

“This decision has been carefully made and a thorough tendering process has taken place to ensure we achieve the cheapest high-quality option available to us. Our decision is firmly in line with the latest Department for Education guidance and most importantly, [one branded jumper or cardigan] will be provided free of charge to our fantastic families.

“Pegasus Primary School will also continue its support of families through our Summit Base Camp, where we provide free breakfast for all children, other uniform items where needed, hardware and software access and wider cultural capital experiences.”

What is the government’s guidance to schools about uniforms?

Statutory guidance from the Department for Education states that parents should not have to think about the cost of a school uniform when choosing which school(s) to apply for. It is up to individual schools to make sure their uniform is affordable. Some of the main points are:

• Schools should keep the use of branded items to a minimum
• Schools should ensure uniform supplier arrangements give the highest priority to cost and value for money including quality and durability
• Schools should engage with parents and pupils when they are developing their school uniform policy
• Schools need to think about the total cost of school uniforms, taking into account all items of uniform or clothing parents will need to provide while their child is at the school
• Schools should ensure second-hand uniforms are available for parents to acquire and information on second-hand uniforms should be clearly published on the school’s website

The Government also recommends school uniforms should promote the ethos of a school and provide a sense of belonging and identity. It should set an appropriate tone for education.

Some suggested actions for schools to take include: “Schools should consider how the cost of their uniform might affect each group represented at the school, especially children who belong to groups with a particular protected characteristic.

“Schools should assess the overall cost implications of their school uniform policy for parents and be aware of how costs could mount up where multiple items of the same garment may be needed. For instance, when a child may grow out of an item quickly or when spare items are likely to be needed.

“Schools should assess the impact which variations in their uniform (such as house colours or specific items of clothing for different year groups) can have on total costs and the ability of parents to pass items down between siblings.”

The guidance is issued under the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021. The Act requires school authorities to take guidance into account when developing a uniform policy.

More recently, the Welsh government told schools in May 2023 that they must not make school badges and logos on uniforms compulsory or force parents to buy branded items. The new rules are part of statutory guidance issued by the Labour-led government in an attempt to ease the financial burden on families.