UK Department for Education imposes new school uniform limits

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act will take effect in September 2026, requiring every state‑funded school in England to limit branded uniform items to a maximum of three pieces – jumpers, blazers, trousers and skirts – while ties are exempt. The measure is intended to ease the cost of school uniforms for families, a goal highlighted by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson who said the legislation “puts money back into parents’ pockets” and provides “critical new protections for our most vulnerable children.”

The Act also expands cost‑of‑living support for pupils, pledging more than 2,000 free breakfast clubs and extending free school meals to an additional half‑million children. In parallel, schools are now obliged to ban mobile phones and similar smart devices for the entire school day, with the Department for Education promising guidance and enforcement support. Parent‑charity leaders such as Frank Young of Parentkind welcomed the changes, noting that “millions of parents are struggling with added school costs like expensive school uniform.”