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Schools in England will be limited in how many branded uniform items they can require, under new rules announced by the Department for Education on 4 September 2026. The move, described as a crackdown on uniform rip-offs, is intended to cut the cost of the school day for families who have been forced to buy expensive branded clothing from a single supplier.
Under the new rules, schools can require no more than three compulsory branded items as part of their uniform, with a fourth allowed at secondary and middle schools if one of them is a tie. The limit is set out in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, and it applies to the items that families must buy with a school logo or from a specific supplier, such as blazers, jumpers and PE kits.
The cost of school uniform has long been a source of frustration for parents. Research has repeatedly shown that branded items can cost several times as much as their unbranded equivalents, and that families with more than one child can face bills of hundreds of pounds at the start of each school year. For low-income families, the expense can mean going without, or going into debt, and it can leave children feeling singled out if their uniform does not match their classmates'.
The uniform cap sits alongside other measures to reduce the cost of schooling, including the expansion of free school meals to all Universal Credit households and the rollout of free breakfast clubs in primary schools. Together, they reflect a recognition that the cost of the school day has become a significant burden, and that small changes to the rules can make a real difference to family budgets.
Schools have been given time to adjust their uniform policies, and the department has published guidance to help them comply. Parents who believe their child's school is requiring too many branded items can raise the matter with the school, and the new limit gives them a clear standard to point to. For families already feeling the pressure of back-to-school costs, the cap is a straightforward and practical change: fewer items that can only be bought from one shop, and more choice about where to buy the rest.
Source: GOV.UK
