Michaela Wilson, a mum who founded a school uniform exchange in Lancashire four years ago, is skeptical about a new law that aims to reduce costs by limiting schools to three branded items of uniform. According to Wilson, this rule will not be effective as parents will still end up buying the full items to match their children's friends. The average total expenditure on school uniform was around £250 last year, with PE kit costing approximately £140. Wilson believes a simpler solution would be for schools to sell iron-on branded badges that can be applied to plain clothing.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
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same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A new law in England, starting September, limits schools to only three branded items of uniform (such as blazers or sportswear) plus a tie. The government claims that this will save families up to £50 per child, but Michaela Wilson, a mum who started a school uniform exchange in Colne, Lancashire, is skeptical. She thinks the law won't be effective because children want to match their friends' uniforms, and parents will still have to buy all the items, not just the three allowed branded ones. Wilson suggests that schools could simply sell iron-on badges with the school's logo instead of requiring branded uniform items.
Written for “School Uniform Controversy” on 2026-08-31,
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Leaning score +0.75 for article 683 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-27
- Published
A mum who set up a school uniform exchange to help people struggling with the cost of schoolwear has said she is not convinced a new law, aimed at saving money spent on uniform, will prove effective.
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law → publish → uniform
From September, schools in England will be limited to three branded items of uniform - such as a blazer, jumper or sportswear - plus a tie, which the government hopes will reduce costs.
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government → limit → costs
Michaela Wilson launched the Pendle In And Out Of School Clothes Project in Colne, Lancashire four years ago, after she realised just the purchase of her son's PE kit would cost £128.
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purchase → launch → 128
She calls the new law "just a rough move to placate people", and has "no idea why schools don't just sell iron-on branded badges".
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schools → call → badges
"Schools could just say, 'you need a black jogging suit for PE' - and parents could buy a badge, iron it on, and there you go," she told BBC Radio Lancashire on Monday.
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she → say → Monday
She said: "Children don't want to pick one, or three items, for their school uniform - they want everything the same as their friends.
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they → say → friends
They're going to want all of it matching.
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all → go → it
So when they go to school, it's not going to be just the three branded things, you're going to have to fork out for the full items.
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you → go → items
They want the full rugby kit if they're playing rugby, they need the football boots, they need the branded football socks if they're playing in the team - and it all adds up.
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it → want → team
"They [pupils] just want to be the same as everybody else.
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pupils → want → everybody
They don't want to stand out and run around in a pair of Asda shorts if everybody else has got the school emblem ones."
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everybody → want → ones
Second-hand stigma
Michaela founded the community uniform and children's clothing bank at Colne Market four years ago.
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Michaela → found → Market
Families can visit, browse and take away items they need completely free of charge, without having to formally apply.
"It was just going to be a temporary thing over the summer, and four years later we're still at it," she said.
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she → visit → it
"At the end of term I get loads and loads of bags.
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I → get → bags
We've got a small space that we've been given by the local council, and we just hang it all up, nice and neat and tidy, and people are welcome to come and fill a bag with whatever they want.
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they → get → whatever
She said it is a "massive way of recycling", describing how families "come down with one size, hang it up and take the next size along".
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families → say → size
"All that school uniform would end up in landfill otherwise," she said.
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she → end → landfill
She added that the stigma of using second-hand uniform is "definitely" lessening
"
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stigma → add → uniform
Teenagers, even more than adults, have embraced the whole second-hand culture," she said.
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she → embrace → culture
"We get teenagers coming and getting their own uniform."
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teenagers → get → uniform
According to the Department for Education (DfE), external, the average total expenditure on school uniform, based on the items required in the school year 2023/24, was just under £250 - with PE kit cost approximately £140.
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kit → accord → 140
A DfE spokesperson said some families would save "up to £50 per child" when the new law comes into effect at the start of the new school year, adding the government is supporting schools to take further steps to bring down the cost of individual items.
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schools → say → items
