No more than three branded items: what changed in school uniform

A branded blazer, a branded jumper, a branded shirt, a tie, a branded PE top and branded shorts — all from a single supplier. Since September 2026 a list like that is unlawful: a school can require no more than three compulsory branded items.

What exactly changed?

From September 2026 schools must limit the number of compulsory branded items of uniform and PE kit to three or fewer. Secondary and middle schools may go to four, but only if one of them is a tie.

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The counting matters: uniform and PE kit go into the same limit, not separate ones.

This is an obligation rather than a suggestion. The guidance on the cost of school uniforms is issued under the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021 and explicitly separates "must" from "should": where it says must, the school is legally required to act.

Does that mean a school cannot specify a colour?

It can. The guidance says so directly: schools do not need to require branded items in order to control details such as colour, shade, fabric or fit, and they can set and enforce rules for generic uniform items.

So "a navy jumper, no logo" is a lawful requirement. Making you buy that jumper with a crest on it, beyond the limit, is not.

What were schools meant to do before this school year?

Before parents started buying, schools were to review their uniform policy and remove any compulsory branded items that breach the limit; confirm as soon as possible which branded items remain compulsory within it; look again at their supply arrangements and give suppliers proper notice of changes; and publish the revised policy on the school website in a form that is easily understood.

They were also to tell parents the requirements for generic alternatives — colour, shade, fabric, fit, sports leggings being opaque, any logo requirements — so that families do not buy the wrong thing.

And one more: every parent, especially of new starters, should know where second-hand uniform can be bought, and that facility should be open before the start of the academic year.

And by the 2027 to 2028 school year?

For the next cycle schools are to consider whether the total cost of their uniform might deter a low-income household from applying at all; to weigh the affordability of each individual item as well as the whole set; and to ensure no item is unnecessarily high cost.

The guidance is blunt about the mechanism: this includes considering whether requiring an item to be branded significantly increases costs, and taking particular care over the expensive items — blazers and jumpers.

Where is the policy, and what has to be in it?

On the school's website. It must be available to all parents, including parents of prospective pupils, and be easily understood, setting out clearly which items are compulsory and which are optional.

The decision on whether to have a uniform at all, and what it should be, rests with the governing board. But schools should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

There is a procurement rule too: supply arrangements should give the highest priority to cost and value for money, including an item's quality, durability and sustainability. Single-supplier contracts should be avoided except in certain circumstances.

What if the money still is not there?

Start with the headteacher and ask what support is available. That covers PE kit as well as uniform.

In England your local council may run support — they are the ones to ask. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own school uniform grants.

What if a school is not following the rules?

Complain to the school, which must explain clearly on its website how to do that. If you are not satisfied with how the complaint was handled, the next address is the Department for Education.

Discrimination is a separate question. Schools may have different uniforms for boys and girls, but there should not be a significant difference in price between them. If you think a policy discriminates against your child, start with the headteacher and check your rights on protected characteristics.

On discipline: a headteacher can discipline a child for not wearing the uniform. The rules sit in the school's behaviour policy, and you can ask to see it.