Local education authorities have discretion to give help with the cost of school clothing for pupils in maintained schools, colleges for further education and sixth form colleges. This can include uniform and non-uniform clothes, shoes and sports kit. In some schools and colleges, help may be available from the governing body or parents’ association.

Local education authorities vary widely in their policies on who can get help and what items they will give help for. To find out what the policy is in your area, check with your local authority.

Some local education authorities restrict help to school uniform only, some pay a one-off grant when the pupil starts school while others pay regular grants as the pupil grows and needs new clothing. Some local education authorities give the help as cash grants, while others give vouchers to be used at local shops and others give actual items of clothing.

Some local education authorities have a policy of not giving financial help to buy school uniforms because pupils are not legally required to wear a school uniform. This is more likely to be the case with primary school pupils. If your school's policy is for pupils to wear uniforms and you cannot afford to buy one, you may have to challenge the local education authority.

Some school governing bodies or parents’ associations give help with school clothing. This help is usually provided by the school keeping a stock of second-hand clothing which it gives to pupils who fall within its criteria for help, or by running a second-hand uniform shop where the clothing can be bought cheaply by any parent.

If your child is disabled and you get income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support, it may be possible to get a community care grant from the social fund to help with the cost of school clothing.

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i remember when we were little my mum got a grant for school clothes, then they didnt do it anymore. i am forever buying new white shirts as my son gets pen all over them and he so messy with paint and his food. they just must let him loose in the mud too. his trousers dont last long either as they rip on the knees after hes action manned them out!!!!

all I can say is thank goodness for DLA. The amount of clothes that are chewed to pieces and have to replaced is ridiculous. Without the DLA my son would look like a tramp. And the school do not insist he wore his painting apron and that blooming paint is so hard to get out - highly UN washable

same with my daughter at nursery they must just let her paint her clothes, its so hard to get the paint out

My son eats at least one Tshirt/top per day !!!