Teesside uniform bank helping families ahead of new rules
The number of compulsory branded school uniform items in England will be limited from next month
A uniform bank in Teesside is helping families this summer ahead of new rules coming into effect from next month.
It comes as The Children’s Society is issuing a warning saying families in the North East are still feeling the financial impact of the school holidays as they prepare children for the new term.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of North East parents said school holiday costs were higher than a year earlier — the highest proportion among the English regions in a survey carried out earlier this year. The survey also found 66% described the holidays as financially stressful, and 58% said the cost of activities during the holidays was difficult to manage - a greater share than those who struggled with food and drink (45% in the North East).
The warning comes as a major reform The Children’s Society campaigned for takes effect. From September, schools in England will be limited to three compulsory branded uniform items, or four in secondary and middle schools where one item is a tie.
ReLoved Clothing in Hartlepool
ReLoved Clothing in Hartlepool is playing its part with its uniform bank.
Natalie Frankland is the founder and she said: "So in the last four years we've continued to see an increase in the cost of living and also in the demand for school uniform and everyday essential clothing. Uniform is one of our biggest areas.
"This time of year particularly is always extremely busy. We see anywhere between 80 to 100 families a week in the eight hours that we're actually open. Last summer, within the first four weeks of the six weeks holidays, we moved just over 3,500 items of school uniform. We've already gone past that mark and we're only 2 1/2 weeks into the six weeks.
"I would say our secondary school uniforms is the most in demand and that is due to the astronomical cost that is still associated with secondary uniforms, particularly blazers, PE kits. The other thing I would say would be shoes for secondary schoolchildren, if they're in adult shoes, and we all know how expensive adult shoes can be, so we do find an increase over the six weeks holidays of a demand for school shoes as well as secondary blazers.
"We've had a lot of new families who have accessed the service. We keep a track and record of what has been handed out and we break down our numbers. We could tell you how many shirts we'd given out, how many trousers we'd given out, and we're already past that 3,500 within 2 1/2 weeks this year.
"The demand keeps on rising and rising. We just see families struggling week in, week out. It's heartbreaking. We listen to their stories, we listen to why they're using the service, we just have general conversations with them and what we try and identify is whether or not they need any other support or through that we offer a wraparound service.
"What we find particularly in Hartlepool is children at primary school aren't required to wear logo jumpers or logo PE kits. The rules are a bit more flexible than they are with secondary. It also comes down to parental choice with primary, some parents do like the logoed items, some parents do like the plain items.
"What we tend to do with parents when they come in is the majority of what we have out is unbranded and it's trying to encourage to move away from that logo to have a sense that a child can go to school, it doesn't have to have the logo on the item of clothing. Whereas opposed to secondary, this is where we start to hit those big financial barriers.
"Here in Hartlepool, what we tend to find is some schools might have four or five items of branded PE kit. You know, children join sports clubs, they've got to have those items, all of which are logoed, all of which come at a cost. The same with the blazers, you know, the blazers you could be talking about anywhere between £40 and £60 for a blazer."
"The moment I just walked in there, everyone was so welcoming"
Shupikai Mbizvo is a volunteer and service user: "At first I was embarrassed. I was like, are they not going to judge me? Are the uniform good for my children? The moment I just walked in there, everyone was so welcoming and they said 'help yourself, choose the sizes of the school uniforms you want.'
"I've got teenagers and my son has just finished secondary school. I was stressed that he wasn't going to do well in school and that might end up like sending him to do things that are not good because he wants to look good and then fit in, as they've got the type of shoes that they wear in school but we managed to get Kickers from ReLoved.
"Going to school, he was wearing a nice blazer and everything was perfect. It was the same for my daughter with ties and everything, I got them from here. I'm very much grateful because since then I've never been to a shop to buy clothes.
"I always come here and then I'll get what I want. If they say 'mum, this one is small', I'll come and then I'll change it. It can be so busy. People will be coming in, out, in, out and then boys being boys, the trousers, the knees, they'll be broken. Some people will come to be like, 'oh yeah, the trouser is gone, so can I please have another new trouser? Can I have this? Can I have that?'"
A welcome change
Mark Russell, Chief Executive of The Children's Society, said: “The new limit on compulsory branded items is a genuine and welcome step towards fairer school-uniform costs - a change we campaigned for over many years, and it’s good to see it finally arriving.
"But the pressures on families in the North East don’t stop there. Our research shows how expensive the school holidays are, with many parents borrowing money, skipping meals or relying on food banks to cope. We welcome the expansion of Free School Meals, but the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is only open to families who meet stricter income limits. This means around 1.3 million children could miss out.
“Families need real, practical help to manage these costs - from affordable activities to support that reaches them when the pressure is greatest.”
Walking into Nothing: The hidden cost of the school holidays for families
The charity’s report, Walking into Nothing: The hidden cost of the school holidays for families, found:
- Parents nationally spent an estimated £50 on food and drink and £91 on other costs for their eldest school-age child during the one-week February half-term — around £141 in total.
- 64% said the cost of school holidays was higher than a year earlier.
- Among parents who struggled with holiday costs, 30% used a credit card, 24% borrowed from friends or family and 17% used buy now, pay later.
- Among parents who took action to manage those costs, 27% skipped a meal themselves and 10% used a food bank