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Marie Hodgson is the mother of two students at Linthorpe Community Primary School and argues that the new uniform policy is adding to the cost of living crisis. Under the new rules, pupils must wear school-branded jumpers and PE tops which are available only from a single supplier. 

Marie says the new tops cost from £8.50 to £10.50 and parents can no longer buy cheaper clothes without logos from supermarkets from as little as £2.

The mum of Simon, 7, and James, 8, maintains she isn’t the only parent upset over the uniform changes. Speaking to Teeside Live, she explained: “It will have an impact on my finances, and then next year they will take the support away. I have two children, but there are a lot of people at the school that has more.”

“In this deprived area all of us are facing financial hardship and increased costs of living yet the school is adding to the financial misery of many parents.

“The school says it is to make the children look smarter but they look very smart already with jumpers with no logos on.”

However the Roman Road school has put a number of measures in place to help families out with the new uniform, including providing one branded jumper and one half-zip branded PE top for free, reducing the price of additional branded jumpers and PE tops to £6 a piece for a number of months and also having an instalment payment plan.

Marie claims that when she spoke to the school, they said they had spent “£10,000” on the free jumpers, something which she said was “wasted” and should’ve been spent elsewhere. She added: “They could’ve spent more money on kids, on things like books. They’ve spent £10,000 on giving people two free jumpers and reducing the price of others.”

Marie said that despite the school reducing the price, one jumper and one PE top are simply not enough because “children get so messy.” She explained how a number of parents “buy a new jumper for [their] children to wear each day of the week.”

She is now refusing to purchase any new uniform “unless [she] absolutely has to.” She added: “It’s going to cost a lot more for many people at a time when it shouldn’t. I hope they realise their parents don’t want this and change their minds.”

Marie cited the government’s guidance for school uniform costs when stating her opinion on branded uniforms, which was published in November last year, and stated that “schools should keep branded items to a minimum.” The guidance from the Department for Education also states that “schools need to ensure that their uniform is affordable.”

Marie explained how Linthorpe Community Primary School sent out a survey to parents regarding the uniform change, with an email saying that changes were supported by the majority of the parents who responded.

As a goodwill gesture, the school gifted each child with a free jumper or cardigan with a school logo and a black half-zip PE top with a school logo for free for the start of the new academic year. These are the only compulsory ‘branded logo’ items required in the new uniform, with every other item being generic that can be bought elsewhere.

The school has also launched a ‘pre-loved’ uniform sale, where parents can buy second-hand pieces of clothing for £1 per item and said parents can also apply to the school for additional financial support where required.

When approached by Teesside Live, Linthorpe Community Primary School declined to comment.

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