A PRIMARY school in Derbyshire is helping parents with the cost of living by providing FREE school uniform for all its pupils.
With charity The Children’s Society revealing that parents spend, on average, £287 on uniform a year, Barrow Hill Academy – part of the Cavendish Learning Trust of schools – has decided to gift all 94 of its pupils two branded jumpers or cardigans, two polo shirts featuring the school logo, a couple of pairs of trousers or skirts, a PE kit consisting of top, shorts and bag, a book bag and several iron-on labels featuring the name of each child, to help families feeling the pinch.
The school have funded the uniform using government-funded PE premium and pupil premium.
Headteacher Rebecca Vodden-Page said that the free uniform will make a huge difference to those families in one of the most deprived areas in the county.
She said: “We are proud of the relationship that we have with the families of our pupils and understand that the cost of school uniform can be a source of worry and anxiety every year.
“That is why we are doing everything we can to ease the pressure. We want our pupils to look smart, and the uniform also needs to be practical so that they can enjoy playing on our new outdoor equipment without worrying about tearing trousers or ruining a good jumper!
“There are also studies that show wearing a school uniform makes pupils feel proud and can help promote good behaviour.”
The school recently enjoyed a trip to celebrate the end of the academic year to Yorkshire Wildlife Park with money from the Friends of Barrow Hill Charity and a trust set up following a comedy gig where TV stars Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont were headliners.
The performance, which was held at Netherthorpe School, another school belonging to the Cavendish Learning Trust, raised more than £12,000.
“No child should miss out on a school trip, and uniform shouldn’t be a barrier to a child attending school simply because their family can’t afford the cost,” added Rebecca.
Parent Jaylene Pritchard – a working mum with seven children – says that the generosity of Barrow Hill will help her family.
“Our family spends around £700 a year on school uniform so this will go a long way towards helping us financially,” she said, “everyone – whether you’re a family who relies on pupil premium or a working family – is feeling the pinch right now and we appreciate this kind gesture from Barrow Hill Academy.”
A new law that came into effect in September 2022 means that schools need to ensure that uniform costs are “reasonable”, and the government says that it is working hard to keep costs down, adding that “school uniform must never be a burden for parents or a barrier to pupils accessing education.”
Alison Payne, school liaison officer for of uniform company Gogna, said that they make the cost of their items as reasonable as possible.
Alison said: “We appreciate that families are struggling to afford the cost of sending their children to school in the right uniform, and we are constantly reviewing our prices to make sure that parents are getting quality, ethical uniform for a reasonable price.
“We have worked closely with Barrow Hill to create a competitively-priced package and think that their idea to provide every child with free uniform is a brilliant idea.”
Barrow Hill receive support from charities including Magic Breakfast, FareShare – an organisation that provides families with food for the school’s on-site food bank – Nottingham-based clothing charity ShareWear and the Marcus Rashford Book Club; a collaboration between the Manchester United and England footballer and child poverty campaigner and Macmillan Children’s Books.
They are also signposting families to the Derbyshire County Council website, where they can apply to receive £64 per household as part of their Household Support Fund.
Heidi Ketton is the Early Help Manager for the Cavendish Learning Trust and works at Barrow Hill Academy, as well as the Cavendish Learning Trust’s other schools; Whittington Moor Infant and Nursery Academy, Dunston Academy and Netherthorpe School. She has been helping families with the application for the Household Support Fund.
Heidi, who has worked at Barrow Hill Academy for 16 years, said: “We are seeing and helping more and more families in Chesterfield. And many are initially reluctant to admit that they’re struggling.
“A lot of these people are referred to as ‘working poor’ – people including NHS workers and teachers who have contacted me asking for help with their application to Derbyshire County Council’s Household Support Fund.
“We are eternally grateful to the Friends of Barrow Hill and also Lucy Beaumont and Jon Richardson for helping to support our Cavendish Learning Trust families. The money raised from the comedy evening earlier this year will go a long way in making the lives of our families that little bit easier at a difficult time.”
