Education: School Uniform Working Group

Overview

This group has been established to support development of national guidance on school uniform and clothing.

Drawing on evidence from the public consultation on school uniform and other relevant sources, the group will consider issues arising and how these can be addressed through the development of national guidance.

The working group will ensure that the views of children and young people are central to their considerations and will work with learners to seek their input and feedback.

The group will ensure that feedback is provided to children and young people to demonstrate the impact of their contribution to this work. 

The remit of the group includes:

• to consider evidence from the public consultation on school uniform and from other sources to identify key issues related to school clothing and seek ways to address these through the development of national policy, with a key aim of addressing issues of affordability, equalities, and sustainability
• to support further development of key principles for school uniform policy and guidance, aligned to children’s rights, equality, sustainability and reducing the cost of the school day
• to contribute to and support drafting of national guidance on school uniform and clothing ensuring that it is informed by the views of children and young people and parents and carers and supports schools and local authorities to develop local policies on school uniform and clothing in line with the key principles

Out of scope

It is not intended that school uniform in Scotland will be abolished, nor is it intended that there will be a national school uniform policy applied in all schools or that items will be mandated at national level. This is therefore out of scope of the working group’s considerations. Matters related to the criteria and implementation of the school clothing grant are also out of scope. Further information on help with the cost of school clothing is available.

Further information

See: school uniforms. 

Related groups

• Gender Based Violence in Schools Working Group

Members

• Scottish Government 
• COSLA
• ADES
• Education Scotland
• Child Poverty Action Group 
• Scottish Council of Independent Schools
• Education Institute of Scotland (EIS)
• NASUWT – the Teacher’s Union
• National Parent Forum Scotland (NPFS)
• Association of Head and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS) 
• Connect
• Young Scot
• School Wear Association
• Poverty Alliance
• Carers’ Trust
• Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS)
• Scottish Autism 
• Cool School Uniforms 
• Apparelxchange
• Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights

The group will also call on the expertise and advice of any individual or organisation necessary to support consideration of particular aspects of the guidance as appropriate. (This may include, but is not limited to, organisations who represent Black and minority ethnic children and young people, LGBTQ+ children and young people, organisations working with children and young people with disabilities and additional support needs, the gender-based violence in schools working group, representatives of faith and belief organisations, the Competition and Markets Authority and Public Health Scotland).

Documents

• Education: School Uniform Working Group minutes - April 2023