Agenda item - School Uniform

Report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning (copy attached)

RESOLVED: That the Committee -

(i)             Agreed that the report be noted and referred to for consideration;

(ii)            Noted that further options to be discussed with secondary

school Headteachers and Governors include:

· More detailed information to be provided on school websites to support families in accessing cheaper school uniform.

· For secondary schools to consider the number of branded items required, removing these where at all possible so that uniform cost is minimised.

· That secondary schools do not frequently change their uniform

requirements for pupils.

83.1    The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning regarding the cost of secondary school uniforms. The report was introduced by the Head of Standards and Achievement: Education and Skills.

83.2    Councillor Allcock said that having a school uniform was beneficial for a number of reasons including providing a sense of belonging to one school, reducing inequality amongst the pupils, removing peer pressure to wear the latest clothes etc, but if parents/carers could not afford to buy the school uniform that impacted on the benefits. He noted that many schools had said that they provided support for parents if they could not afford to buy the required uniform but that wasn’t always made known to parents.

83.3    Councillor Grimshaw noted that one secondary school did not give any information on help available and one school did make reference to second-hand clothes but did not explain how a parent could access those clothes.  She had looked at the required school uniform for one school in the City and the cost for a new Year 7 pupil would be £218. Councillor Grimshaw asked that all schools give information on how parents could receive help and/or buy second-hand uniforms as it could be embarrassing for parents/carers to have to ask the school for help and so the information should be available to them straight away. She asked that a further report on whether schools were providing more information on help for those who were having difficulties buying the necessary clothes come to a future meeting of the Committee. The Chair agreed.

83.4    Councillor Nield was surprised that the report listed both boy and girl uniforms and thought that schools now had a generic uniform. The Head of Standards and Achievement: Education and Skills said that there were options at most schools and pupils could either wear skirts or trousers.

83.5    RESOLVED: That the Committee -

(i)             Agreed that the report be noted and referred to for consideration;

(ii)            Noted that further options to be discussed with secondary

school Headteachers and Governors include:

· More detailed information to be provided on school websites to support families in accessing cheaper school uniform.

· For secondary schools to consider the number of branded items required, removing these where at all possible so that uniform cost is minimised.

· That secondary schools do not frequently change their uniform

requirements for pupils.