School uniforms should become cheaper for hard-up families after a backbench MP steered a Private Member's Bill through Parliament.
Labour's Mike Amesbury pioneered new rules meaning schools will be issued with statutory guidance telling them to consider cheaper high street alternatives to branded clothing.
Measure include encouraging second-hand uniforms and overhauling schools’ arrangements with suppliers.
Mr Amesbury said: “I’m celebrating on behalf of hard-pressed families up and down the country.
“This will make a real difference and bring the cost of school uniforms down, with the need for schools to put affordability front and centre in their uniform policies placed on a legal footing for the first time.
“I’m over the moon for those children and their families.”
According to The Children’s Society, parents spend an average £337 per year on uniform for each child at secondary school.
Parents of primary school kids fork out £315 on average – three times what they feel is reasonable.
The charity's chief executive Mark Russell said: This legislation will be vital in ensuring that school uniforms become more affordable for families across the country.”
The Bill gained Royal Assent from the Queen today as the current parliamentary session closed before next month's Queen's Speech.
The Department for Education will publish the statutory guidance in the autumn.
Education Minister Nick Gibb said: “School uniforms are important in establishing the right ethos in a school.
“They also help to improve behaviour and a sense of belonging and identity.
“But we want to be sure they are affordable for parents.
“This new law will help to save families money and ensure the cost of a blazer or shirt is never a barrier to accessing the best possible education.”
