Call for help with school uniform costs in England

57 minutes ago Share Save Dan Whitworth & Dearbail Jordan Reporting from Winsford, Cheshire Share Save

Getty Images Few councils offer school uniform support, and one of the UK's largest debt advisers has called on the government to change that

Low-income families in England struggling with the cost of school uniform should be offered grants as standard, one of the UK's largest debt advisers has said. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all families on certain benefits can claim between £93 to £200 per child for back-to-school clothing. But Money Wellness found only a fifth of councils in England offer any support and has called on the UK government to introduce a statutory school clothing grant. The Department for Education (DfE) said it was already changing the law to limit the number of branded items schools can insist on, saving some families over £50 on the back-to-school shop.

However, the average cost of a school uniform is just over £340 for primary school children and around £454 for those in secondary education, according to DfE figures. "For many low-income households, even with such savings, uniforms will remain unaffordable without proper support," said Adam Rolfe, policy and public affairs officer at Money Wellness.

Money Wellness says of 153 local education authorities in England, just 22 offer a dedicated uniform grant, while a further seven provide help but only in exceptional circumstances such as fire, flooding or being made homeless. It said the data reveals a "postcode lottery of support". Councils in places such as London, Yorkshire, and the north west offer help ranging between £30 to £170 per child. But, it said: "The vast majority offer nothing at all." Mr Rolfe said: "We urgently need a consistent, national approach to school uniform support to ensure no child is disadvantaged simply because of where they live." The Local Government Association, the membership group for English councils, said: "While some councils choose to help parents with the cost of school uniforms, funding pressures on council budgets make it increasingly difficult for them to continue these concessionary grants.

While pupils in England are still out for the summer, the break finishes in around four weeks' time and the Children's Society charity said now is the time that school uniform banks are starting to get busier. For Carrie, who was getting a uniform for her son Dillion for his new secondary school, places like the Green Uniform and Baby Bank in Cheshire are "invaluable".

Carrie, here with her son Dillon, said uniform banks are "invaluable"

"It's a real challenge to be able to afford a brand new school uniform," she told the BBC. Carrie said she had ordered £200 worth of new items, and she could "now send some things back" and even buy some spares. "It's a real safety net," she said. But Carrie said there were other costs too such as shoes and football boots. "And Dillon will grow out of them so it is a continual issue really and with Christmas not far off, it is back-to-back for families with costs."

Jason, with Amelia, Julie and Bobby, says councils should standardise help with school uniform costs

With household bills such as energy, water and council tax rising in April, Mr Rolfe said the costs of the start of the school year was an added financial burden. Jason, who was at the Green Uniform and Baby Bank in Cheshire with his wife Julie and their children Amelia and Bobby, said it was not just low income families who were struggling with costs. "You might earn a lot of money however, bills are going up, the cost of living is going up. We're in a sort of crisis where everyone's trying to save or penny-pinching wherever they can," he said. Josh, whose daughter Isabella was going into year seven, said the cost of school uniforms was "very high", but he received an email from the school telling him about the bank.

Josh, with Isabella, says there's no longer a stigma about secondhand clothes

"It just helps places like this to support everyone, keep it a fair price," he said. "It's great for everyone, there's no judgement on using secondhand clothes. There used to be a lot of stigma, it had to be branded but now there's no stigma on that, everyone's in the same boat struggling." And it is a sustainable way to shop, according to Jason: "You're not having uniforms and clothes going to landfill sites".

The Green Uniform and Baby Bank's Michelle Hawthorne says it has never been busier

Michelle Hawthorne, who helps run a school uniform bank in Winsford, Cheshire, said school uniform costs were an "enourmous" pressure for families. "If you have multiple children across multiple schools, as a lot of our families do, you can see how the cost of that can become... unbearable." A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Our Plan for Change is removing barriers to opportunity, with limits on branded items of school uniform just one of the steps we're taking to put money back into parents' pockets and break the link between background and success."

How to save money on school uniform

Zara ads banned for 'unhealthily thin' models

56 minutes ago Share Save Charlotte Edwards • @edwardsclm Business reporter, BBC News Share Save

Zara

Two adverts by fashion brand Zara have been banned for featuring models who appeared "unhealthily thin". The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said shadows and a slick back bun hairstyle made one model appear "gaunt" while the pose and low cut design of a shirt in another image showed the model's "protruding" collarbones. The watchdog ruled that the "irresponsible" adverts must not appear again in their current form and that Zara must ensure all its images were "prepared responsibly." Zara has removed the adverts and said that both models in question had medical certification proving they were in good health when the pictures were taken.

The two banned adverts previously appeared on the retailer's app and website in a carousel of images showing clothes on and off models. One advert was for a short dress and the ASA felt shadows were used to make the models legs look "noticeably thin". It also said the positioning of her upper arms and elbow joints made her look "out of proportion."

'Protruding collarbones'

Zara

The other banned advert was for a shirt and the model was said to be in a position that made "protruding" collarbones a "focal feature" of the advert. The ASA investigated two other Zara adverts but neither were banned. Zara chose to remove all the images flagged and said it had not received any direct complaints. The retailer told the ASA that none of the images had been modified beyond "very minor lighting and colouring edits". It added that it followed recommendations of a report called Fashioning a Healthy Future, which was published in 2007 by the UK Model Health Inquiry. Zara said it specifically complied with recommendation three of that report which said models "should provide a medical certificate attesting their good health from doctors with expertise in recognising eating disorders."

No bullying found in Harry charity row, but blame for all sides

Prince Harry left the Sentebale charity that he had co-founded

But the commission did criticise "all parties" for allowing a "damaging" dispute to play out publicly - and gave the charity a regulatory action plan to deal with "governance weaknesses".

It has imposed no sanctions - and the current leadership, headed by Sophie Chandauka, will remain at the charity which supports young people in southern Africa.

The Charity Commission has published its findings into whistleblower allegations that followed a bitter boardroom dispute that saw Prince Harry resigning , along with several trustees, earlier this year.

There was no evidence of widespread bullying, harassment or misogyny at the Sentebale charity founded by Prince Harry, the charity regulator has found.

Harry quits charity he set up in Diana's honour over internal row

Although Prince Harry's team welcomed the finding that there had not been evidence of bullying, a spokesman said the report "falls troublingly short" in that the "consequences of the current chair's actions will not be borne by her".

"Sentebale's problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity's reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardising the charity's ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve," said Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth.

The row had seen Prince Harry accused of being a "toxic" brand by the charity's chair Ms Chandauka - and he had stepped down saying his and the trustees' relationship with her was broken "beyond repair" and saying that they had faced " blatant lies ".

Much of the criticism from the commission focused on how the internal dispute descended into such a public argument in the media, which it said had damaged the charity's reputation.

It's a bittersweet outcome for Prince Harry who has left the charity, which his spokesman said had been "deeply personal" to him.

Sophie Chandauka says the charity will continue and grow stronger

The current chair, Ms Chandauka, remains at the head of the charity, with the watchdog finding no reason for her not to continue.

A Sentebale spokesman said that the report confirmed that the new trustees had been validly appointed and could move forward "free from interference".

Ms Chandauka said the "adverse media campaign" from those who had resigned from the charity had caused "incalculable damage".

"We are emerging not just grateful to have survived, but stronger," she said.

The Charity Commission also said that although there was no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir [discrimination against black women], it acknowledged a "strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties" and said it wasn't its role as a regulator to adjudicate on individual claims of bullying.

The commission has not sanctioned any individuals, but its regulatory action plan is meant to address problems such as a lack of clarity over roles and a better mechanism for handling internal disputes.

It warned of "weaknesses in the charity's management" that had added to disagreements.

The inquiry highlighted how tensions had risen around a new fundraising strategy in the United States, with some trustees believed to have raised concerns about the charity's finances.

The action plan warns of the importance of "sufficient funding to enable the charity to deliver for its beneficiaries".

The Charity Commission website is still showing Sentebale's financial position from August 2023 - but sources close to the charity say it is in good financial health.

The charity had been a very personal project for Prince Harry, which made his resignation even more difficult. Sentebale had been co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, with both honouring the legacies of their mothers.

"For 19 years, its dedicated staff and steadfast supporters have provided vital care to over 100,000 young people across southern Africa, including young people living with HIV/Aids and those facing mental health challenges," said a spokesman for Prince Harry.

Prince Harry's spokesman said the charity had been grown to become a "flowering force for good" and that he will "now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana".

Ms Chandauka said: "Despite the recent turbulence, we will always be inspired by the vision of our founders, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso."

The Charity Commission concluded that those running charities should not let disagreements make them forget their initial good intentions and to focus on those they were trying to help.

"Passion for a cause is the bedrock of volunteering and charity, delivering positive impact for millions of people here at home and abroad every day," said Mr Holdsworth.

"However, in the rare cases when things go wrong, it is often because that very passion has become a weakness rather than a strength.

"Moving forward I urge all parties not to lose sight of those who rely on the charity's services.

"The current trustees must now make improvements and ensure the charity focuses on delivering for those it exists to serve."