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Uniform Grants Not Being Utilised
Friday 18th of July 2008 06:21:41 AM
It can cost parents hundreds of pounds a year for School uniforms with compulsory items including blazers embroidered with the school crest and bespoke sports kit. If you live in Hampshire, you may be one of the hundreds of parents of secondary school children who are missing out on cash to help to buy those expensive new school uniforms.
The Hampshire County Council gives school uniform grants to low income families eligible for free school meals, worth £61.25 per pupil. Last year the council gave out £133,000 in uniform allowances to 2,200 pupils. However, six hundred eligible children didn't apply. This meant £40,000 earmarked for uniforms went unspent. Hampshire gives allowances to pupils in year seven - when children start secondary school - as well as years nine and 10.
There is not a statutory obligation for local education authorities to provide grants for uniforms. But many children's charities have said that the poorer pupils risk being stigmatised, bullied or even excluded from school because their parents can't afford all the required items.
Winchester Citizens Advice Bureau has been surveying local schools on their uniform policies. Lesley Rose, a CAB advisor, said: "There are quite a lot of schools which insist pupils buy uniforms from their own shop which quite often is more expensive than the high street."
She said whilst there could sometimes be a stigma to receiving free school meals, the low take-up of the uniform grant suggests that not enough people know about it. Rose said, "The issue is how to let more people know so they can access help."
According to a county council spokesman, "Entitlement is publicised in a booklet sent to the parents of all Hampshire pupils in year six in maintained schools, and we would expect schools to make sure that the parents of year nine and year 10 pupils are aware."
The spokesman also said that the details of uniform grants were also listed on the council website, whilst forms for parents to fill-in were available in primary and secondary schools. The council said that historically the school uniform budget is underspent. This is because some eligible low-income families do not take up free school meals or claim the uniform allowance.
(c) vasantdave,www.sxc.hu
Good all round. Will order again.
Good all round. Will order again.
the chance to review the image is great for checking everything over one last time before printing. the time between reviewing the print and delivery was another positive, taking only a couple of days. my friends were really pleased with the finished items. unfortunately i was out when the courier called. he didn't note the date or time of his attempted delivery on his card and he hadn't filled in when or if he would attempt delivery again. on repeatedly phoning the company on a friday between 4:50 and 6 i got no answer. i then tried again on the monday morning, but once again i got no answer. after phoning clothes2order they resolved everything. i realise this is outwith the control of clothes2order, but it soured an otherwise excellent service.