School uniform and clothing: Guidance for schools and education authorities

Signposting families to sources of support

There is a range of support available to parents and carers to help them with the cost of school uniform and clothing.

The school clothing grant is available to parents and carers who are in receipt of certain benefits. In 2024/25, the grant pays a minimum amount of £120 for primary school pupils and £150 for secondary school pupils. The eligibility criteria to receive school clothing grant is set by individual education authorities. Schools should widely promote the availability of school clothing grant and publicise the eligibility criteria in their individual education authority area. Where changes are made to the eligibility criteria, schools should communicate this to all parents and carers as soon as possible. Where appropriate, schools should offer support to parents and carers to apply for school clothing grants.

Schools should also consider whether there are other sources of financial support available to parents and carers. This might include the Scottish Child Payment or financial support provided by the education authority. Schools should work with partners to make sure that they are able to provide clear, accessible and up-to-date information to parents and carers about benefits, money advice and income maximisation services in their local communities. An overview of financial support available can be found here: Financial help in the school years | CPAG.

Schools should also share with parents and carers information about other resources or support services that offer advice and information. This could include local or community services and initiatives. It could also include Parent Club, a website that offers resources for parents and carers in Scotland on a range of different topics. Parent Club maintains a Family Support Directory that provides signposting to organisations, benefits and information. Information for families about local sources of support and resources can be found here: ALISS - A Local Information System for Scotland | ALISS.