New education measures are intended to reduce the everyday cost of sending children to school. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act combines expanded free meals and breakfast clubs with a statutory limit on branded uniform items.
Uniform costs
From September 2026, schools will be required to limit compulsory branded uniform items to three, excluding a tie. Families should still check each school’s published policy, but the change is designed to make supermarket and second-hand alternatives easier to use.
Meals and breakfast provision
The government says around half a million additional children will become eligible for free school meals. Free breakfast clubs are also being expanded, aiming to reduce hunger at the start of the school day and ease pressure on household budgets.
What parents should do
- Check whether eligibility rules change for your household.
- Ask the school when its revised uniform policy takes effect.
- Use second-hand schemes where available.
- Confirm breakfast-club times and whether booking is required.
Ministers estimate the package could save some families up to £1,000 a year, but individual savings will differ. Delivery will depend on clear communication and sufficient school funding.
The wider question
Reducing visible school costs can improve participation and dignity, but it does not remove the wider effects of child poverty. Schools will still need access to pastoral, attendance and family-support services if the reforms are to translate into better outcomes.
