£55 school blazers and £30 skirts - how parents in Manchester face a postcode lottery with uniform

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Parents in Manchester face a postcode lottery when it comes to the cost of high school uniforms, a groundbreaking survey has found.

The findings of the first Manchester School Uniform Survey from Greater Manchester Equal Start Network shows that more than 3,000 families are having to spend an average of £70 more per child at some schools, compared with the most affordable.

Overall, because of unequal requirements across the schools, it says families in Manchester have had to fork out £1.3m extra this summer alone on compulsory uniform.

A large number of those are entitled to free school meals. Join our FREE Manchester Family WhatsApp group by clicking here The survey is based on 24 secondary schools whose policies are available online and those behind the Equal Start Network, hosted by Manchester Central Foodbank, say the findings show just how much pressure families are put under. "We have chosen to analyse the varying cost of Manchester’s schools uniform policies as this is directly controlled by the school and as such can be changed by the schools," says the report. "Our findings show that the school uniform policies create unnecessary costs to attend school which serves to perpetuate barriers surrounding access to education. "Our findings show that there is an unfair disparity based on where you live and what school you attend – a 'postcode lottery' which impacts children receiving free school meals just as much as it does those who are not." While stopping short of naming schools specifically, the Manchester Evening News has taken a look at the varying uniform policies to see exactly what parents are being asked to pay.