OFT urges school uniform review.

Almost 30,000 state schools in the country should change their uniform policies to allow parents the chance to shop around for cheaper items and make more savings, the Office of Fair Trading has said.

It comes after a survey showed some items on the school uniform list could be as much as £5 or £10 more expensive when bought from retailers selected by schools, or from their own shops.

And the OFT said if parents were allowed to shop around freely for school uniform for their children they would be able to make millions of pounds in savings every year.

According to the study, three quarters (74%) of state schools have restrictions in place on where uniforms can be bought.

The research highlighted one example of a school jumper costing £12 from a shop recommended by a school, but it could be bought for £8 at competing retailers or £5 at a supermarket.

Schools have a number of reasons for choosing just one supplier for uniform, including convenience for parents, and wanting a consistent, good quality uniform.

Copyright Press Association 2012