Schoolwear Association chair and deputy chair, Matthew Easter and Marie Bradburn, provide an update on the Association’s work alongside wider industry insight.
Laura Turner: What has the Schoolwear Association (SA) been focusing on this year?
Matthew Easter: We have again been primarily focused on the implementation of the Department for Education (DfE) statutory guidance on uniform, which schools had to comply with by September this year. This has involved ongoing engagement with a large number of MPs, the DfE itself, media and other interested parties, to ensure our industry point of view is represented fairly and the misinformation on excessive uniform costs is balanced. Aside from this, we have also engaged with the Scottish and Welsh governments on their consultations on school uniform, supported the CMA Green Claims Code, and been involved with the Textiles 2030 programme.
LT: What were the key insights from the SA’s recent report – ‘Dressed for success: Insights from teachers and industry on school uniform costs and habits’?
ME: We can see there is overriding support for school uniform throughout the teaching community and a clear understanding of the benefits it brings in a school setting. We can also see that, despite high levels of inflation in the general economy, school uniform basket prices have decreased in real terms since 2020, which is a testament to the work of the industry as well as the statutory guidance on uniform introduced in November 2021.
LT: You recently ran a survey to decipher the average cost of school uniform for 2023. What did it reveal?
ME: That the average cost of a basket of secondary school uniform has decreased in real terms from £101 in 2020 to £96 in 2023, despite soaring inflation.
LT: How can the industry help support the SA’s petition to scrap VAT on school uniform?
ME: Very simply, if every schoolwear retailer asked every customer, we would get hundreds of thousands of signatures on the petition that would result in a debate on this issue in the House of Commons. We would also encourage members to raise this issue with their local MP – we can help with further information in this respect.
LT: What changes have you seen since the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) law was passed?
ME: Our recent survey of 9,000+ teachers and headteachers demonstrated that almost all schools (c. 90%) had considered the new guidance and some had made changes to their uniform policy if they felt it necessary. Our message has been clear from the outset though, that whilst we supported and continue to support the ethos of the new guidance, we also feel the vast majority of schools are both considerate and responsible when setting their uniform policy, so would not necessarily need to make any changes to be compliant within the new guidance.
LT: What are the key benefits of SA membership?
Marie Bradburn: The SA is a professional association that now has a voice at Westminster for its schoolwear members, both retailers and suppliers to the industry. We have been referenced in Parliament, work closely with the DfE and are contacted almost weekly by media and press, which is quite an achievement in itself. As an SA member, being able to call on this support is a key benefit for any schoolwear business.
LT: How does the SA help retailers?
MB: We enable retail members to draw support and advice from all sectors of the schoolwear industry; the Uniform Bill and current legislation have highlighted that, both through communications from the SA and individual member support. The member information we provide is also vital, with bi weekly updates and breaking news as it happens.
LT: How can retail members get more involved with the SA?
MB: The SA has formed a new Retail Support Pillar – driven by retailers for our retail members – providing support on everything from merchandising and making the most of social media to advising on Uniform Bill legislation and the impact on both schools and retailers. It will also allow our retail members to take a vital role in the organisation of the SA.
LT: What are the main areas of focus for the coming year?
ME: Inevitably, we will need to continue focusing on both the political landscape and media. We are also keen to improve our support within the industry through the aforementioned Retail Support Pillar. As part of this, we are planning to improve our website to provide more resources to members and schools. We are also looking to engage with more relevant organisations that support school communities in areas other than uniform.
For further information on the Schoolwear Association, please click here.
