The school has forked out more than £100,000 to ensure all its pupils wear the correct uniform.
One of Britain’s most improved schools has forked out more than £100,000 to ensure all its pupils wear the correct uniform. The headteacher of Cumberland Community School in Plaistow believes smart attire helps children feel ‘pride’ in the institution and removes distractions about fashion.
But it serves one of the most deprived parts of the country – with 55 percent of children eligible for free school meals – meaning some parents to not have the financial means. So this year the school is paying for all 270 incoming Year 7 students to have a new blazer, tie, and laptop at a total cost of £108,000.
Each new student received a voucher worth up to £400 to cover the cost of the clothing and equipment, in the hopes of easing the financial burden on parents. According to The Children’s Society, parents spend on average £422 a year on secondary school uniforms and £287 on primary school uniforms.
Headteacher Ekhlas Rahman said: “For many families at our school the cost of uniform and computer equipment is an expense they can’t afford. I have had parents in my office telling me they just can’t afford certain items. As a school we felt like we had to act.
“With the cost-of-living crisis and other expenses, our more hard up parents were really struggling. We don’t want circumstance to be prohibitive to a good education, so we decided to foot the bill for the most expensive items.”
Mr Rahman said there are still some items that parents have to pay for. However, this initiative enables the school to maintain a uniform while also “go[ing] some way to help out” families who may otherwise struggle.
He said: “We don’t want to do away with uniform completely because it gives a sense of pride to the school and the students. By wearing the same outfit, students can focus more on their education and less on social pressures related to fashion.”
Under changes to the Education Act last year, schools in England are meant to be helping cut costs for parents.
This could be by promoting cheaper second-hand uniform options – or by removing unnecessary branded items from their uniform lists. Mr Rahman said: “When I arrived, I reviewed the cost of uniform and realised that having branded items added to the cost for parents.
“We have done away with branded items so they don’t have to be bought in one specific place and can be purchased at a reduced cost. These are small things, but they do add up. We know families are struggling now and we want to do everything we can to help out. We are a school committed to investing in our students, so their ambitions and dreams can become a reality.”
Cumberland Community School has been ranked the most improved in the country over a sustained five-year period. This summer, nearly 70 per cent of GCSE students secured “strong” passes in English and Maths while more than 25 per cent scored 7s and 9s – the top grades – across the board.
Many of the 15 and 16-year-olds were also awarded scholarships to study at highly selective private sixth forms, facilitated through the school’s Prestigious Colleges Programme.
This scheme enables students from a disadvantaged background to gain places at private sixth forms
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