Welsh Government wants views on school uniform policies in Wales

The Welsh Government wants views before it considers making changes to the statutory guidance on school uniform in Wales.

The consultation will seek opinions on a variety of proposals relating to school uniform to update the statutory guidance and to further support families through the cost-of-living crisis and make uniforms more affordable.

The government wants views on:

• Whether school governing bodies should prioritise affordability when setting their school uniform and appearance policy
• Whether school governing bodies should ensure easy access and availability of uniform items when setting their school uniform and appearance policy
• Use of logos/branding on school uniforms
• School arrangements with single suppliers of school uniform
• Uniform exchange/recycling schemes

Parents/carers, learners, governing bodies, headteachers, teachers and school staff, uniform suppliers and other key stakeholders are encouraged to share their views by responding to the consultation.

Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said:

“The Welsh Government is doing everything we can to support families through this cost of living crisis.

“I know that a lot of schools work hard to keep the cost of their uniforms to a minimum.  However, there are still too many instances where families are being expected to spend eye-watering amounts just to send their children to school. We are launching this consultation so that we can take further action in order to support families.

“96,000 pupils are already eligible for our Pupil Development Access Grant – the most generous support scheme in the UK – which helps with the cost of uniforms and school items. I urge families to check whether they are eligible so that they too can benefit from this vital support.”

The consultation will run until 28 November 2022.