Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe Schools will be asked to seek out uniform suppliers offering payment plans under another planned update to government guidance. Rules introduced last week have seen branded items limited to three at primary schools and four at secondary, including a tie. The restrictions also apply to PE kit and clothes for after-school activities. But the Department for Education has now revealed it will update guidance again later this year setting out more requirements on deals with suppliers. Prime minister Andy Burnham said uniforms “shouldn’t be charged at luxury prices when they’re everyday essentials”. “I’ve listened to parents and alongside the cap on branded items that came in this week, I’m going further to change the rules.” Payment plans required DfE confirmed schools will be expected to seek out suppliers offering payment plans. It said this will ensure “families aren’t left paying whatever one supplier chooses to charge”. The government cited a Save the Children survey from last month that showed 47 per cent of parents are most worried about uniform as a back-to-school cost. However, it is not clear whether the additional guidance will be statutory or non-statutory. Tom Middlehurst, of leaders’ union ASCL, said the additional measures “seem reasonable”, but argued “it’s important schools retain a degree of flexibility to choose uniform that is right for their setting”. “While we appreciate efforts to ensure uniforms are affordable for families, this is something schools were very conscious of already – and we do feel that a price cap on the total cost of school uniform might have been more effective than simply limiting the number of branded items.”