Poor families being plunged into debt by the cost of school uniforms

Hundreds of thousands of youngsters are sent to school wearing ill-fitting clothes because their parents cannot afford to keep replacing them, while many more have been sent home from lessons for wearing “incorrect” uniform.

School uniform policies risk dividing pupils into the “haves and have-nots”, leaving those without the right kit at risk of bullying and embarrassment, the Children’s Society report warned. The findings, based on a poll of around 1,000 parents, found that 95 per cent of mothers and fathers think school uniform costs are “unreasonable”.

On average, families with school-age children spend £316 a year on average on items for a child at a state secondary and £251 annually on average for a youngster at a state primary.

Shoes were the most expensive item at £56 on average for secondary school children and £53 for primary age youngsters, followed by coats and bags (£55 for secondary and £44 for primary).

Blazers set parents with secondary school children back £42 on average, and £32 for those with youngsters at primary school.

An analysis by the charity suggests that nearly 800,000 pupils go to school in poorly-fitting uniform because their parents cannot afford to keep buying new items, while a further 400,000 have been sent home for wearing “incorrect” clothes.

And around a quarter of a million have had their school chosen based on the cost of its uniform.

One parent said: “My oldest daughter, they sent her home and said she wasn’t allowed to come back until she had the correct shoes. I had to write a letter to say that we’ll be able to get some in a week or so.”