A new law around school uniforms in England could save parents hundreds of pounds a year.
The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Bill has been passed into law and will see schools told they must keep branded items to a minimum - meaning families can buy cheaper supermarket clothes instead.
Parents currently spend an average of £337 on uniform for each child at secondary school, and £315 at primary school, according to The Children’s Society.
Families saying they believe the costs should be £105 for secondary school uniform and £85 for primary, reports the Mirror.
Before the bill was passed, there were no rules that dictated how school governing bodies decided what uniform families can buy.
There was only non-statutory guidance, but the new legislation will mean schools have to keep uniform affordable by law.
The law will apply to relevant schools such as academies, maintained schools, non-maintained special schools and pupil referral units, and is expected to come into force in June.
School uniform will have to be easily available and consist of items that can be bought cheaply
Branded items must be kept to a minimum and schools will also need to avoid specifying expensive items of clothing.
Schools will need to demonstrate they have obtained the best value for money in their clothing contracts and they'll be asked to avoid single supplier contracts that limit where parents can buy uniform.
In addition, some families could be entitled to as much as £150 toward the cost of school uniform thanks to a government-funded scheme.
The School Uniform Grant is compulsory in Scotland where local authorities pay low-income families at least £100 per child each year.
In England, it's not a statutory right, and many councils have been forced to scrap - or reduce - it in recent years due to funding rows.
In Wales, the Government offers a Pupil Development Grant (PDG) instead.
The Gov.uk website has a page where you can enter your postcode to see what help is available near you.
