Has your High School updated its branded uniform rules yet as per the new Government policy applicable from Sept26?

[Flamingoqueenofchaos]

Has anyone’s High School updated their uniform for September 26 as per the new government policy…..

….From September 2026, schools should not require parents and carers to buy more than 3 items of branded school uniform. Secondary and middle schools may ask for 4 items if a tie is one of them…..

My child starts high school this September and there’s is still 5 branded items listed: tie, skirt, blazer, pe top, pe shorts

I have called the school and no update so far (yes I know there’s still weeks before end of term but what with holidays/work etc I’m trying to actually get organised!!)

Our secondary school had only 2 items already - a school jumper and a PE shirt. There is also a PE jumper but they don’t have to wear it. And there is other optional branded stuff. That change was made in 2024 ish, if I remember.

Primary school - only jumper, PE shirt, PE hoodie.

Many European schools manage perfectly well without uniforms and just a "dress code".

Is this specific to England?

Yes England, I’m in the South East

Yes specific to England definitely not Scotland as though uniforms common in Scotland they can't be enforced legally and you can't be deprived of education for non compliance only thing absolutely banned is sectarian clothing so you could be sent home for that which is why football stripes are generally banned even on non uniform days.

I have no idea about Wales and Northern Ireland

Scottish schools tend not to have branded gear, unless private schools. I have never heard of anyone in state primary or secondary having to have branded PE gear.

The UK is one of only 4 European countries which have mandated uniforms for state schools - the others are Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. European countries do not have mandated uniforms (except for elite private schools) and manage with a simple dress code. School uniforms in UK are a cultural hangover from a class system which grew out of elite schools like Eton and Harrow. Other schools emulated it and it became the norm - along with the Victorian obsession around appearance.

Can the girls wear plain trousers? If so, i believe it makes the skirt optional, so not a required item.

Ours has updated and dropped a couple of branded requirements.

There's still a compulsory blazer, skirt with logo (although trousers can be plain black) and tie. The logo requirement on the jumper has been dropped.

PE kit is now 2 items with logo. The trouser option is now more flexible. There are still specific long socks. I think they're just choosing to ignore that they are still a required item you can only buy in 1 place.

Problem is that no one wants their child to stand out.

I would rather just scrap the most expensive item; the blazer.

Our state Primary school has a branded pe top and secondary has branded top and shorts

Ours updated theirs last year, ties are not included in the new regulations for some reason. Sons school had blazer, PE top and PE hoodie, although the hoodie isn't compulsory uniform as in they don't have to have it, but DS does and they really need it for outdoor PE in winter.

This is a big improvement from when DD was at the school when, all PE kit was branded except socks and so where the trousers and skirts. Although we managed to get away with generic school trousers as the logo was so small and covered by blazer. As long as they where the same style and colour the teachers didn't notice.

I imagine they will have to do away with the skirts being logos.

I mean in Scotland.

My kids' primary school sold white t-shirts with the school logo for PE if you wanted them, alternatively you could just buy any supermarket white t-shirt. Shorts were navy and bought from anywhere.

Secondary rule was just any sports clothing - shorts and t-shirt for summer, leggings/joggers and hoodie for winter. No football shirts, nothing advertising gambling, alcohol or with offensive slogans.

Skirts are £32.50 each!!
pe tops and skort are £16.50 each

Thanks for those who answered about it being England only.
I’m in Wales so it doesn’t apply, technically ours has 5 logo items. Blazer/jumper, tie, PE shirt, PE shorts or leggings and PE socks but nobody wears the socks, ever. There’s an optional long sleeved PE top too.
You also have to have course specific logo clothing if your child chooses a college course for GCSE, one of mine has and needs shorts and t-shirt and a long sleeved top.

Not yet, though I suspect the house colour branded PE tshirt will be switched for any t-shirt in that colour, which will take them down to the 3 items as a lot of the rest is optional anyway (i.e. any black jumper rather than the branded one).

Ours updated the essential list last year, but they still have the non essential branded items that everyone has which singles people out if they don't have them.

These branded uniforms actually make me so angry. They wheel out the excuse that enforcing uniforms reduces bullying for the children who can’t afford expensive branded clothing…and then they compel them to wear the schools expensive branded clothing. Even in the underprivileged areas that I grew up in…I mean, wtf are they thinking?

I’ve also heard the reasoning that uniforms “prepare” them for the workplace, but that doesn’t stack up either because not all places of work have uniforms (not that you need to prepare in any way for wearing a uniform). It would be much more beneficial to give them a dress code so they get used to putting appropriate outfits together within guidelines, as well as giving families much more flexibility in regard to price range.

Ours likely won’t change because currently the only branded items are school skirt, blazer, PE polo, shorts and zip-up hoodie/rugby shirt BUT the hoodie and rugby shirt are optional for winter (my DC haven’t worn them since year 8 as they’re apparently uncool!) and most girls wear trousers.

Oh this is interesting- I didn’t know of this rule change but it sounds good.

Im in wales so it doesn’t apply to us but my kids have optional branded stuff for primary (or you can buy just plain red/white supermarket uniform) and for secondary it’s a branded blazer (which seems to be totally pointless and live its life in my child’s bag), branded tie and branded PE top and that’s it. Other items are optional. I absolutely do not see the point of the blazer. I’m amazed your school has branded skirts, OP, I’ve not seen them before! So expensive to have buy so much branded stuff.

I think it’s because when I was at secondary (in a shit failing bogstandard Blairite comp), we didn’t have branded uniform but it left the uniform entirely up to interpretation. This meant girls were turning up in 3/4 black trousers, boys and girls in cardigans because it said black jumper but cardigans were in fashion in the 00s so we wore those… We all looked insane. Actual uniform makes everyone look the same, kind of smart? I don’t agree with the insane prices though and something like PE kit shouldn’t be branded.

What’s the problem with kids looking ‘insane’ and being able to express themselves? Why is it better to have school children all looking alike? How does looking smart affect their education?

You may all have looked a bit bonkers, but it doesn't sound as if there was actually anything wrong with what you were wearing, and if you were comfortable it probably improved your ability to learn. Why does looking "kind of smart" matter?

Out of interest, could a UK state school just decide not to have a uniform?

My DS' school is trying to do this, but there has been a petition raised by parents and students to stop it. They are changing the uniform from a functional and comfortable branded polo shirt / sweatshirt to a white button shirt, branded v neck jumper, tie and branded sports top. Which means everyone will need to buy new uniform, the secondhand shop won't have any stock and there will be an estimated 6-9,000 items of clothing from existing students, that can't be used again. Absolute lunacy.