A Government minister has pledged to help the one million families in England that are forced into debt every year because of the cost of branded school uniforms.
In a parliamentary inquiry this week, Education minister Lord Agnew issued a fresh warning to schools over uniforms that MPs have previously warned are "so expensive that they're presenting a barrier" for children.
It comes after the Children's Society warned one in six families are at risk of school uniform poverty - having to sacrifice food and basic essentials to afford it.
"We need to just tell these schools to not be so ridiculous, and I'm happy to amend the guidance," Agnew said.
The hearing heard blazers, trousers and socks can cost up to three times more when embroidered with school logos.
This has reportedly led to some parents going hungry so they can afford to buy school uniforms for their children.
"It's mindless bureaucracy on the part of these schools. They don't realise that actually this is an additional burden for a family that's not well off," Agnew added.
The rules
In England, there is no legislation in place regarding branded school uniform, however, the Department for Education expects schools to ensure that items are affordable.
This week's inquiry followed a letter from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday, which warned logo-emblazoned uniforms can add up to £10 to the cost of each item for families.
The CMA said it receives a "surge of complaints from parents and carers every summer about the excessive cost of uniforms where school policies prevent items being purchased from cheaper alternative suppliers.
"This has reportedly led to some parents going hungry so they can afford to buy school uniforms for their children," the letter explained.
It's now called for action over "restrictive purchasing policies" to curb these costs.
In a response, Gavin Williamson MP Secretary of State for Education said "no uniform should be so expensive as to present a barrier to accessing the school."
"The guidance is clear that schools should avoid single-supplier contracts."
"But where schools do choose to enter into such contracts, they should ensure these are subject to a regular competitive tendering process to ensure value for parents."
Giving evidence to the inquiry, former teacher and Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle, Emma Hardy, called on the Government to introduce a cap on the cost of uniforms while encouraging schools to use less branding - and to make it optional.
She said: "If you allow parents to shop around and buy non-branded items then they can get them for really reasonable prices, and that's what my campaign's been about."
Lord Agnew told her: "I 100% support you, everything you say makes perfect sense."
Inquiry chair Frank Field MP said new guidance would make a difference to families who find school uniforms "a terror".
He called on Lord Agnew to provide further details of the amended guidance in writing.
Agnew also pledged to go after schools which have a requirement for so-called monopoly suppliers, calling this a "pernicious way of excluding children from less well off backgrounds".
However no mention was made of the controversial School Uniform Grant , which dozens of councils have been forced to axe in recent years due to funding cuts.
