Overview

This bill mandates the UK Secretary of State to issue guidance to schools in England on managing the costs of school uniforms. The aim is to help make school uniforms more affordable for families.

Description

The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Bill introduces a new section (551A) into the Education Act 1996. This section requires the Secretary of State to provide guidance to schools on cost aspects of their uniform policies. This guidance will cover any aspects the Secretary of State deems relevant to cost. Schools (academies, maintained schools, non-maintained special schools, and pupil referral units) must consider this guidance when creating and implementing their uniform policies. The Secretary of State can revise this guidance periodically. The bill applies to England and Wales and comes into force two months after being passed.

Types of Schools Affected: The bill covers academies, alternative provision academies, maintained schools, non-maintained special schools, and pupil referral units (excluding those in hospitals).

Who Determines the Guidance: The Secretary of State for Education has the authority to decide what constitutes “cost aspects” and to issue and update the guidance.

Who Must Follow the Guidance: The appropriate authority for each school (the proprietor for academies and non-maintained special schools, the governing body for maintained schools, and the local authority for pupil referral units) must consider the guidance.

Government Spending

The bill does not directly allocate new funding. The cost of developing and distributing the guidance will fall under the existing budget of the Department for Education. The potential for savings for families through more affordable uniforms is an indirect benefit, but a quantifiable figure is not provided in the bill.

Groups Affected

• Schools: Will need to review and potentially revise their uniform policies in line with the new guidance.
• Parents/Guardians: May experience reduced costs for school uniforms if the guidance leads to more affordable policies.
• School Governing Bodies/Proprietors: Responsible for implementing the guidance and managing uniform policies.
• Local Authorities: Responsible for implementing guidance within pupil referral units.
• Uniform Suppliers: May be indirectly affected by changes to uniform policies resulting from the guidance.

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