New school tie: is the price right?

As state schools return to demanding uniforms from designated suppliers, parents claim the expense is discriminatory

Distinctive blazers and striped ties, long associated with private schools, are now being required again by thousands of state schools - from grammar and faith schools to inner-city comprehensives.

This trend towards posh uniforms has led to growing fury from parents. They object to being asked to pay around £30 for a particular blazer when they can see generic items for sale in shops such as Asda and Woolworths for as little as £10. Until now, they have kept their concerns mainly to themselves.

But now the Government has got involved. Last month, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced that it was launching an investigation that could force schools to change their uniform policies.

A lot of money is at stake here. The school-uniform market is worth an estimated £450m a year. And the OFT is concerned about the exclusive deals between schools and their chosen uniform suppliers, which can add an extra £100 to a uniform bill.

The Government's involvement has come amid growing concern that schools are effectively "selecting" pupils by having an expensive uniform. The less well-off are put off from applying, whereas for wealthier families, the expense is no problem, say the critics. "Parents want affordable and good-quality uniforms from high-street outlets," says Margaret Morrissey, of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations. "This is a very divisive issue."

Margaret Tulloch, secretary of Comprehensive Future, a pro-comprehensive school pressure group, agrees, arguing that poorer families can feel excluded from schools that insist on pricey uniforms "The question of uniform can make some schools inaccessible to some parents," she says. "It's a real problem for some families, who feel that they cannot afford to send their children to some schools."

That argument was given backing in a report entitled Natural Admissions, published by the education think-tank Iris earlier this year. It said that specifying an expensive uniform provider was one of the ruses that schools employ to cherry-pick the brightest pupils, so that they do well in league tables.

The OFT launched its investigation after receiving complaints from parents unhappy that they were prevented from taking up the cheap uniform deals available on the high street because their children's school had entered into an exclusive deal with a more expensive supplier. Basic uniform items such as black trousers for secondary-school children can now be bought for as little as £5 on the high street, while white shirts are £1.75 and blazers £10. The same items from specialist suppliers can cost as much as £18 for trousers, £10 for a shirt, and more than £30 for a blazer.

Around half of the country's 24,000 schools are thought to demand that parents buy much of their children's uniform from a named specialist supplier. But schools also have something to gain because they can earn commission for uniforms sold by a designated supplier.

Thomas Telford School, in Telford, Shropshire, is the country's best-performing comprehensive, where every pupil regularly achieves at least five good GCSE passes, and is one of many schools specifying that pupils must wear uniform items that are unique to the school and come from a particular supplier. The school refused to comment on its uniform, which includes a tartan skirt costing £35, trousers at £17.99, a maroon blazer with school badge for £25.99, and a tie, not cheap at £7.50.

But inner-city comprehensives are also insisting that pupils wear uniform. Islington Green School, the north-London school that was famously rejected by Tony Blair for his children, for example, introduced a uniform four years ago featuring a purple blazer and tie that can only be bought from the school.

Trevor Averre-Beeson, the head teacher, argues that it is parents who are keen for their children to attend a school with a posh uniform and that, if managed sensibly, uniforms do not have to be prohibitively expensive. Much of the uniform - black trousers and white shirt - can be bought anywhere. "I'm very aware of all the concerns about expense," he says. "We serve a quite challenging community, and we deliberately sorted out a company that would supply the uniform at a reasonable price and let parents pay in instalments. We also waived our commission - which knocked £3 off the price - and have a support fund to help parents who can't afford it."

At another comprehensive, Halifax High at Wellesley Park, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, nearly all of the uniform can be bought from high-street shops, to keep costs to parents down. Only the jumpers in house colours must be bought from the school, for £10, while ties are issued free to pupils, although replacements must be paid for.

Jeremy Waxman, the head teacher, says that setting his school's uniform policy was a balancing act between establishing a distinctive image for the school and keeping costs down. "We wanted to project a strong image of the school so we have certain items that are in the school colours. But we did not want to make the entire uniform only available from particular outlets because we felt that would be restrictive.

"We had a big debate with the governors about whether we should have a unique blazer with a school badge, but in the end, we decided to stick with a plain black blazer. It looks just as smart but doesn't hit parents' pockets."

Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, agrees that distinctive - and consequently more expensive - uniforms are on the increase as schools, particularly in inner cities, attempt to establish a strong local image and differentiate themselves from neighbouring schools.

"Schools, particularly in urban areas, want to develop a clear identity. That is increasingly being done by having a uniform," he says.

"Uniforms are very popular with parents - apart from when they have to pay the bill. It is the uniform suppliers who are keen to sign schools into exclusive agreements. I don't think there's an easy answer to this. Schools must be careful not to develop a uniform that is very expensive because this could deter children from poorer families from applying."

The OFT's investigation will entail a survey of 10,000 schools to establish whether their uniform policy constitutes a restraint of trade. At the same time, the Department for Education and Skills is trying to clamp down on schools' exclusive uniform deals. Ministers have been alarmed by research showing that both primary and secondary schools have begun to use uniforms as a way of selecting pupils by stealth. A draft admissions code, which comes into effect next year, requires uniforms to include items that are available on the high street.

School-uniform manufacturers, however, defend their higher prices, arguing that their clothing is better quality and will last longer than the cheapest items on the high street. Anthony Buckland, marketing director of the schoolwear manufacturer Price & Buckland, says: "Whether school uniforms are a rip-off or not is clearly dependent on the cost and quality of the specific uniform. School uniforms are generally manufactured using very durable fabrics, and actually save the child's 'home clothes' being ruined.

"Uniforms are worn day in, day out, and can go through enormous abuse. Fashion clothing simply wouldn't stand up to the rigours of school life, and would have to be replaced far more frequently. Contrary to recent arguments, uniforms are therefore cost-effective."

However, high-street stores insist that schools' exclusive deals are unfair. Angela Spindler, managing director for George at Asda, says: "We are always getting reports from customers who say that their children's school has told them that they cannot buy their uniforms from us, which forces many of them to pay over the odds."

How the different uniforms add up

Designated supplier

Thomas Telford School, Shropshire

* tartan skirt £35

trousers £17.99

maroon blazer with badge £25.99

tie £7.50

white shirt from any retailer

Part-designated supplier, part-high street

Islington Green School, north London

* purple blazer with badge, only from the school £24-£28

tie from the school £3.50

black trousers and white shirt from any retailer

High street

Halifax High at Wellesley Park, Halifax, West Yorkshire

* black blazer from any retailer

tie from the school, first one free, replacements £3

black trousers and white shirt from any retailer

jumpers/cardigans in house colours (optional), around £10 from the school

Hijab, with HH logo, from the school, first one free, then £5