Cost of living: School uniform logos could be scrapped in Wales

School uniform logos could be phased out in Wales to ease the financial burden on families.

The Welsh Government will look into whether schools should have no logo or use iron-on logos for free.

In a letter to governing bodies seen by BBC Wales, Education Secretary Jeremy Miles said it would give families the opportunity to buy uniforms more cheaply.

A public consultation on the proposed changes will take place “soon”, the Welsh Government said.

School governing bodies are currently setting guidelines for uniform and appearance. Government guidelines state that they should limit logos to one garment.

Families are eligible for grants if they meet certain criteria attached to existing entitlements to free school meals.

Lisa Watkins, a mother of two from Caerphilly, said getting rid of logos would make a “massive financial difference” for her.

In response to the cost of living crisis, she is in the process of setting up a school uniform exchange in the city.

Ms Watkins is trying to raise unified donations from five Caerphilly secondary schools and their primary schools to distribute to those in need.

She said a jumper with a logo from a shop selling school clothes could cost around £16, but a similar garment without the logo could be bought in a supermarket for around £5.

She explained that she still tries to buy clothes with logos for her children because the students’ faces are “stigmatized”.

James Moss of Newport said having three kids, ages 10, 11 and 14, can get pretty expensive.

“If you come together with two children in the competition it’s around £223 for the minimum branded items and that doesn’t include all the other things they need including unbranded shirts, school socks, trousers, shoes, trainers so that’s quite a bit expensive,” he said.

“It’s a lot cheaper for primary school, it’s about £28 for the main branded stuff and of course you buy the other stuff as well.

“Allowing iron-on emblems will be very welcome, especially for families who are really feeling the effects of the current energy crisis issues – this is very good news.”

According to a Children’s Society survey of 1,000 parents, the average annual cost of a school uniform in the UK is £337 for a secondary school pupil and £315 for a primary school pupil.

The parents surveyed believed a third of that would be a more reasonable price.

Many parents have already bought school clothes for this school year.

Janice Anne Vardon is part of the team that set up the Aberdare School Uniform Swap Shop and said she thought it would be a good idea to scrap the badges, which are potentially an unnecessary extra expense.

“Quite often the difference between labeled products and unlabeled products is very big,” she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

“An elementary school polo shirt goes from single digits to double digits when you add a badge, and often you need more than one, so the badge impact is pretty significant.

She said they’ve seen many families come in and use their exchanges, especially given the current cost of living crisis.

Ms Vardon added that she knew of parents who felt they were letting their children down and felt they weren’t good parents because they couldn’t afford the uniform.

“Parents are already overwhelmed, some will reach the point where they can’t stretch out and will be forced to make more decisions they shouldn’t be making.”

In his letter, however, Mr Miles urged schools to “give leniency” to the need for branded uniforms in the new term.

In some cases, he writes, families spend “immeasurable” amounts of money to send their children to school.

He added: “I hope you will agree that this is simply not acceptable.

“We know that school logos, for example, are still a burden for many families. So I’ve asked my officials to look at options for logos on school uniforms.

“Options include whether schools should either have no logo at all or use ‘iron-on’ logos, which are provided free of charge.

“This would give families the opportunity to buy uniforms at a cheaper cost from a retailer of their choice.”

The letter continued, “I will also consider whether schools should demonstrate that any benefits of any financial arrangement they have with a school uniform supplier are passed on to the customer and are within a reasonable range of high street retailers.”

Eithne Hughes, director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said Mr Miles’ letter “comes too late, frankly”, at a time when many parents have already bought a uniform.

“The guidelines released in January this year already provide guidance for schools when defining uniforms, including limiting the number of items bearing logos.

“Iron-on school logos will help reduce the cost of uniforms, but they will not solve the child poverty problems that have plagued our nation.”