Changes to statutory guidance on school uniform and appearance policies

The statutory guidance on school uniform and appearance policies is for governing bodies and head teachers, to be used when formulating, implementing or changing a school uniform and appearance policy. This consultation is gathering stakeholder views to inform changes to the statutory guidance, specifically around the cost and affordability of school uniform.

We know that school uniform and other such items can be a financial burden, particularly for lower income and large families.

The cost of living crisis has meant families are seeing a cut to their household budgets. While many lower income families are eligible for PDG Access, currently the most generous scheme in the UK, we know that thousands of families continue to struggle financially. The Welsh Government is committed to using every lever it can to help people with the cost of living.

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language wrote to the Governing Bodies of maintained schools in August, informing them of the intention to update the school uniform guidance. The Minister is minded to make changes so that all governing bodies will be requested to review their current school uniform policy.

This consultation seeks views on proposed changes to the Welsh Government statutory guidance on school uniform and appearance policies.

All responses will be considered. A summary report of responses will be published on the Welsh Government website following the completion of the consultation.

There is no education legislation specifically covering the wearing of school uniform or other aspects of appearance such as hair colour and style and the wearing of jewellery and makeup. However, as part of its responsibility for the conduct of the school, a governing body can specify a uniform which pupils are required to wear and other rules relating to appearance. The powers for the Welsh Ministers to issue this statutory guidance in this area are contained in a number of legislative provisions.

The Welsh Government provides statutory guidance to schools and governing bodies on school uniform and appearance policies. This document can be found on the Welsh Government website.

Governing bodies are expected to have regard for the Welsh Government statutory guidance when implementing or changing a school uniform and appearance policy. 

Jeremy Miles MS, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language wishes to consult on elements of the statutory guidance due to the continuing cost-of-living crisis and issues around affordability of school uniform.

The current guidance states ‘Governing bodies will give high priority to cost and affordability considerations. No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply for admission or to attend a particular school’. We have heard that in some schools in Wales, the cost of uniform is unaffordable for many families. We know that logos, as well as inflexibility some parents and carers face with choice of retailer can be a significant factor in affordability of school uniform. In response to this, we intend to change our statutory guidance and so are seeking views from key stakeholders across Wales through this consultation.

• We want to seek views on whether branded uniform is necessary in schools, to inform changes to the statutory guidance in relation to school uniform logos.
• We want to seek views on whether single supplier arrangements with school uniform suppliers should be used, to inform changes to the statutory guidance in relation to single supplier arrangements.
• We want to seek views on whether schools should implement uniform exchange/recycling schemes, to inform changes to the statutory guidance in relation to uniform exchange/recycling schemes.

• School governing bodies will have regard to affordability when setting their school uniform and appearance policy and consider the financial impacts that their policy has on families.
• School governing bodies will have regard to access and availability of uniform items when setting their school uniform and appearance policy.
• School governing bodies review their existing uniform policy to ensure it is in line with any updated statutory guidance.

Question 1

Do you agree that school governing bodies should prioritise affordability when setting their school uniform and appearance policy?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 2

Do you agree that school governing bodies should ensure easy access and availability of uniform items when setting their school uniform and appearance policy?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 3

Do you agree that logos should not be required on school uniforms?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 4

Do you agree that logos should be limited to one outer garment, for example a jumper, cardigan or blazer?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 5

Do you agree that iron-on or sew-on logo badges should be provided for learners, free of charge?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 6

Do you agree that logos should not be required on school sportswear and other school equipment?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 7

Many schools enter into single supplier arrangements with a school uniform supplier. This means that there is no choice about where branded uniform items are bought. Do you agree that schools should avoid single-supplier agreements with suppliers of branded school uniforms?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 8

Do you agree that schools should be transparent in demonstrating that any benefit of a financial agreement they have with a school uniform supplier is being passed on to the customer?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 9

Do you agree that if schools enter into an agreement with a school uniform supplier, they should ensure that the costs of using this supplier are similar to the costs of school uniforms available from high street retailers or supermarkets?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 10

Do you agree that schools should operate a uniform exchange and/or recycling scheme available to families?

• Agree
• Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree

Question 11

We would like to know your views on the effects that guidance on school uniform and appearance policies would have on the Welsh language, specifically on opportunities for people to use Welsh and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language.

What effects do you think there would be? How could positive effects be increased, or negative effects be mitigated?

Question 12

Please also explain how you believe the guidance on school uniform and appearance policies could be formulated or changed so as to have positive effects or increased positive effects on opportunities for people to use the Welsh language and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language, and no adverse effects on opportunities for people to use the Welsh language and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language.

Please use the consultation response form to respond to the above questions.

The Welsh Government will be data controller for any personal data you provide as part of your response to the consultation. Welsh Ministers have statutory powers they will rely on to process this personal data which will enable them to make informed decisions about how they exercise their public functions. Any response you send us will be seen in full by Welsh Government staff dealing with the issues which this consultation is about or planning future consultations. Where the Welsh Government undertakes further analysis of consultation responses then this work may be commissioned to be carried out by an accredited third party (e.g. a research organisation or a consultancy company). Any such work will only be undertaken under contract. Welsh Government’s standard terms and conditions for such contracts set out strict requirements for the processing and safekeeping of personal data.

In order to show that the consultation was carried out properly, the Welsh Government intends to publish a summary of the responses to this document. We may also publish responses in full. Normally, the name and address (or part of the address) of the person or organisation who sent the response are published with the response. If you do not want your name or address published, please tell us this in writing when you send your response. We will then redact them before publishing.

You should also be aware of our responsibilities under Freedom of Information legislation.

If your details are published as part of the consultation response then these published reports will be retained indefinitely. Any of your data held otherwise by Welsh Government will be kept for no more than three years.

Under the data protection legislation, you have the right:

• to be informed of the personal data held about you and to access it
• to require us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
• to (in certain circumstances) object to or restrict processing
• for (in certain circumstances) your data to be ‘erased’
• to (in certain circumstances) data portability
• to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection

For further details about the information the Welsh Government holds and its use, or if you want to exercise your rights under the UK GDPR, please see contact details below:

Data Protection Officer:

Welsh Government
Cathays Park
CARDIFF
CF10 3NQ

e-mail: Data.ProtectionOfficer@gov.wales

The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are:

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
K9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545 745 or 0303 123 1113

Website: ico.org.uk

Large print, Braille and alternative language versions of this document are available on request.

Statutory Guidance on School Uniform and Appearance Policies

The consultation documents can be accessed from the Welsh Government’s website.