Does your school have strict uniform rules? They may be breaking the law, claims Keir Starmer

Strict uniform policies could be breaking the law due to the cost sometimes associated with them, according to a government department.

Whether you agree with school uniform or not, one thing we can surely all agree on is that uniform costs can really add up. With the primary school years alone costing parents £6,000 – though there are school uniform grants and ways to turn old uniforms into cash – uniform can cost parents an awful lot of money. 

However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has told schools to be careful with strict uniform rules – as they could find themselves breaking the law. They’ve told schools to consider whether their uniform rules are in the “best interest of pupils and parents.”

Taking into account the costs that come with the summer holidays, the CMA said that managing uniform costs can be difficult for some families, saying: “At the [CMA], we’ve been looking at the impact of school uniform policy over the years and have advocated for schools to ensure that their policies are not overly restrictive, limiting the choice of what parents and carers can buy.

"For example, some families are forced to buy what they consider to be unnecessarily branded items of school uniform, often from suppliers and retailers who have exclusivity agreements with particular schools. It may come as a surprise to many schools and their governing bodies that they may in fact be breaking competition law if those policies are too restrictive."

While the CMA isn’t asking schools to make wholesale uniform changes, it does want them to consider a variety of factors, including uniform exclusivity contracts and deals that could break the law. It asked schools, "Have you awarded a contract to a manufacturer for sale through third party retailers? If so, are there any provisions that fix the minimum price that the uniform can be sold at? Such arrangements could be a breach of restrictions on resale price maintenance.

“How many items of uniform are branded or highly tailored to your school? While less common colour combinations may give a greater sense of identity, does this reduce the number of suppliers who will choose to invest in a stock uniform that can only be sold to a small pool of customers?"

Meanwhile, the CMA has also suggested that schools operate second-hand uniform shops if they don’t already, and has urged parents to compare prices before buying. It said: "Even if you can only buy branded items from one place, make sure you find the best deals for everything else. Remember that for many items you do not need to buy from a school’s approved shop. Some retailers might make you rush into paying by saying that stock is low, lots of people are looking right now, or that it’s only available for a limited time.

"This is not always true. So, take your time to compare prices and availability on other sites, and ignore sales tactics that pressure you."

In other back-to-school news, here are the three most common back-to-school issues kids face and how to deal with them, while these six new school attendance rules are coming into force this September. And, here are seven ways to save on back to school essentials, as it's revealed parents will spend £2.3 billion in 2024.