School uniforms costly for some of the UK’s most deprived families

Headteachers serving some of the poorest UK families say the cost of providing school uniform is crippling for some.

Their comments came as Money Wellness, one of the UK’s largest debt advisers, called on the UK government to introduce a statutory grant for school clothing.

To help, Headteachers involved in INEOS Forgotten 40 project, have started buying uniform themselves to ensure all children feel proud to belong to their school.

“It means that no one has to worry about looking different or standing out,” said Kat Allen, headteacher at Roby Park Primary in Huyton, Merseyside.

She said her school had been able to buy a new PE kit for every pupil at her school, thanks to funding they had received through the INEOS Forgotten 40 project, a charitable initiative hoping to improve the lives of children growing up in some of the poorest parts of the UK.

Prince Bishops Community Primary School in County Durham is another school supported by INEOS.

Headteacher Lynn George said she had spent some of her Forgotten 40 grant on buying 240 branded winter coats after staff noticed pupils often arrived at school during the winter without a coat.

“We felt providing winter coats was a practical way to help,” she said.