Agenda item

Rachel Bishop-Firth asked the Executive Member for Children's Services the following question:

 

Question

Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, the hidden costs of sending children to school was a significant source of strain for many Wokingham families. Parents on lower incomes struggle to give their children the expensive blazers, jumpers with logos, sports kit with logos, and dress shoes which schools require.  While one local supermarket could provide a full generic school uniform for £4.50 last September, parents at some of our schools are paying multiple times that amount for just one item of uniform because it has a colour and logo which is unique to that school.  Parents may be lucky enough to pick up some second hand items in the right size, but that is less likely for shoes or reliable IT equipment, let alone school trips.

 

The pandemic is causing financial hardship to an increasing number of families and the effects may last for years.  What action will the Council be taking to encourage maintained and other local schools to ensure that uniforms and other school costs are kept genuinely affordable for parents? 

Minutes:

 

Question

Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, the hidden costs of sending children to school was a significant source of strain for many Wokingham families. Parents on lower incomes struggle to give their children the expensive blazers, jumpers with logos, sports kit with logo, and dress shoes which schools require.  While one local supermarket could provide a full generic school uniform for £4.50 last September, parents at some of our schools are paying multiple times that amount for just one item of uniform because it has a colour and logo which is unique to that school.  Parents may be lucky enough to pick up some second hand items in the right size, but that is less likely for shoes or reliable IT equipment, let alone school trips.

 

The pandemic is causing financial hardship to an increasing number of families and the effects may last for years.  What action will the Council be taking to encourage maintained and other local schools to ensure that uniforms and other school costs are kept genuinely affordable for parents? 

 

Answer

It is the governing body of a school that sets the uniform policy and where to source the uniform.  The cost and the value should always be considered, and the Council is always reminding the schools about this.  The uniform should also be easily available to buy, preferably from a local supermarket, so nobody has to travel anywhere.

 

Any savings negotiated by the school should be passed on to the parents.  We ask the schools regularly to remind the parents that if they do have a problem, they will get help from the schools.

 

On our website you may have seen the Parents’ Guides for starting Primary, Junior and Secondary Schools where we actually say that we do not have any assisted purchase scheme so they will have to turn to the school.  I know many, many schools have a selection of used uniforms so there is the possibility of going down that way for them.

 

Supplementary Question

I agree that the governing body is responsible for setting the uniform policy and I am really pleased to see that you are in favour of those governing bodies setting a uniform policy which means that people can buy uniform from supermarkets.  Unfortunately, I do know from talking to local parents that many of them are still struggling because there are still a lot of very unique branded items which are very expensive. The Childrens’ Society is calling for councils and for schools to look at needlessly high uniform costs and other councils around the UK are actually supporting and influencing schools to look at what they can do to tackle this. 

 

So, to give one very quick example allowing children to wear items in standard colours which can be bought from a supermarket with sew on school logos.

 

Will Wokingham commit to look urgently at what we can do to ensure that uniforms and other school costs for the state schools in our area are as affordable as possible and to use the Covid Winter Grant Scheme where this is needed to ensure that all children have the essential tools and supplies for learning in these difficult times?

 

Supplementary Answer

The Covid Winter Grant Scheme is meant to be used for food and for fuel.  It   cannot be used for buying clothes or shoes.  But as I said it is the governing body of each school that makes these decisions so I would suggest that parents get together and they speak to the governing body.  Nobody should have to suffer because they have to buy a school uniform.