Schools rapped over uniform costs

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The Local Government Association (LGA) said research showed nearly a fifth of parents could get uniforms from only one supplier or through the school itself.

This can mean parents face paying higher prices than those able to buy uniforms in supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco and M&S.

The LGA said schools should ensure they used at least two different suppliers.

Siobhan Freegard, founder of the parents networking website Netmums, told the BBC it was unfair for state schools to restrict uniform choice.

She said: "If it's a private school then you make your choice and accept the consequences.

"But if it's a state school and schools are still insisting that parents go to a specialist uniform shop where the prices are higher than on the high street then there's something really, really unfair about that."

In February, Children's Secretary Ed Balls spoke out after a survey revealed that a parent paid out almost £700 a year for uniform, trips and other costs for a child at primary school, and almost £1,200 for a secondary school child.

He said schools had a legal responsibility to ensure that costs remained low.