As I clicked on the link to the official school uniform website – a link sent by my son’s secondary school, which he starts this week – I did a double take.
How could it be almost £25 for a kids’ jumper?
I stared at the screen, assuming there had been some kind of mistake.
OK, the jumper had the school logo. But still… £25? I’d expected it to be around £15 maximum so this felt like a rip off.
My son’s primary school had never required any branded uniform. So, my husband or I could usually pick up two jumpers from the supermarket or high street for under £10.
But now, he’s starting secondary school; and only jumpers with the school’s logo are allowed. With only one supplier to buy them from, it felt like we were being held to ransom.
And of course, kids get things dirty, so we need to buy more than one. Plus, they outgrow clothes fast.
After I saw the £25 figure, I emailed the school’s second-hand uniform shop to ask about jumpers in my son’s size – plus a tie.
As a family, we wear lots of pre-loved clothes, so I was hoping to have some luck here – but the second-hand shop quickly replied saying they didn’t have any left.
My heart sank. That meant paying around £50 for two jumpers for an 11-year-old.
I felt angry and frustrated. How could this possibly represent good value for money? It just didn’t seem fair.
And my son is an only child – what about the expense for bigger families?
It’s not just jumpers, of course; there are other items of clothing to buy too. New trousers, shirts, shoes, football boots, socks, bag…the list goes on.
In total, we’ve spent more than £200 so far on school uniforms, even though most items can thankfully be bought from the high street or supermarkets. There are even a couple of items of PE kit that need to be branded, which I find ridiculous.
And it’s not as simple as just buying whatever you’re told to buy. My son has additional needs, which means he can’t wear some fabrics as he finds them extremely uncomfortable.
This adds another layer of stress, worry and complication for many parents who are trying to simultaneously follow the school uniform rules and stick to a budget while also meeting their child’s needs.
According to the Department for Education, the average cost of school uniform is around £454 at secondary school. And the bulk of this usually needs paying at the start of the school year.
It’s just not right.
Thankfully, the law is changing – the Government plans to put a three-item limit on the number of branded items that schools can require (plus a tie).
But while this is definitely a step in the right direction, the changes aren’t expected to come into effect until September 2026. And, in my opinion, they don’t go far enough – especially when so many people are already struggling.
Recent research by the charity Parentkind found that almost 30% of parents will go without heating or eating at some point to afford uniforms.
Almost half were worried about uniform costs, and around half planned to use credit cards (like me).
I’m not surprised that so many parents are worried about uniform costs (I’m one of them!). But it’s unacceptable in 2025 that almost a third of parents will go without food – or turning on the heating at home – to buy school uniform.
And one of the most worrying things of all? Parentkind also found that almost half of parents said their child had been told off or punished because their uniform was bought from a supermarket or high-street shop.
This included 64% of parents whose children have Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and 65% of parents whose children are entitled to free school meals.
I’m a big fan of school uniforms. It makes life easier, as you don’t need to choose outfits each morning. In theory, it’s also a social leveller as everyone wears the same thing. It can also create a sense of belonging and pride.
But if parents are having to choose between putting food on the table or buying a school uniform for their child, we’ve really reached a crisis point.
The government needs to go further and faster with its reforms. Parents should be able to buy all the clothes they need for school on the high street.
Alternatively, branded uniforms from specialist suppliers should have a similar price tag to the equivalent item from a supermarket.
We need a fairer system for parents and carers. After all – children can learn just as well in an unbranded uniform as in a branded one.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk.
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