School uniform
Unclear impact for very low cost based on insufficient evidence
School uniform is the clothing that pupils are required to wear at school.
Implementation costThe cost estimates in the Toolkits are based on the average cost of delivering the intervention.
Evidence strengthThis rating provides an overall estimate of the robustness of the evidence, to help support professional decision-making in schools.
Impact (months)The impact measure shows the number of additional months of progress made, on average, by children and young people who received the intervention, compared to similar children and young people who did not.
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What isit?
School uniform is the clothing that pupils are required to wear at school. Uniforms differ from the very formal and detailed (such as requiring blazers and specifying other items of clothing) to more informal and brief (such as involving just aschool sweatshirt). Schools vary as to how strictly auniform policy is enforced and whether it includes other aspects of pupils’ appearance.
Key findings
1. The current evidence base on school uniform and academic outcomes is extremely weak. The limited evidence base means that an overall impact in months progress is not communicated.
2. Wearing auniform is not, on its own, likely to improve learning, but can be successfully incorporated into abroader school improvement process which includes the development of aschool ethos and the improvement of behaviour and discipline.
3. Staff commitment to upholding and consistently maintaining auniform policy is crucial to successful implementation.
4. If auniform policy is in place, it is important to consider how to support families that may not be able to afford uniform.
How effective is the approach?
The lack of studies identified that tested school uniform approaches mean that there is not enough security to communicate amonth’s progress figure. School uniform policies are often implemented alongside other improvement measures, which make it particularly challenging to measure the impact of uniform interventions alone. As aresult, there is not enough security in the evidence to communicate amonth’s progress figure.
There is abelief in some countries that school uniform supports the development of awhole school ethos and therefore supports discipline and motivation. Some also believe that auniform promotes social equity. However, there is little robust evidence that introducing aschool uniform will, by itself, improve academic performance, behaviour, or attendance.
There is ageneral belief in the UK that school uniform leads to improvements in pupils’ behaviour. It is important to remember that improved behaviour, on its own, does not necessarily lead to better learning, though it may be an important precondition (see Behaviour interventions).
Closing the disadvantage gap
Pupils from lower socioeconomic households are less likely to be able to afford the cost of school uniforms. Schools intending to change their school uniform policy should therefore consider what provision can be made to cover the costs of uniform changes for disadvantaged pupils.
How could you implement in your setting?
School uniform policies are thought to complement the development and support of awhole school culture and approach, which in turn may assist pupil discipline and motivation.
Core components of aschool uniform policy might include staff holding high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and that their attire reflects the values and culture of the school which the pupils reflect.
The implementation of aschool uniform policy likely to be asignificant cost for parents. It would not be advisable to change school uniform requirements regularly, as this may further disadvantage children and families of lower socioeconomic households.
What does itcost?
The costs associated with introducing aschool uniform are very low for aschool, and mainly depend on parents buying the specified clothing instead of other clothes the child would wear. Some schools may subsidise or pay for the school uniform of children from low-income families, which is likely to slightly increase the cost associated with introducing aschool uniform.
When introducing new approaches, schools should consider implementation. For more information see Putting Evidence to Work – ASchool’s Guide to Implementation.
How secure is the evidence?
There is extremely limited evidence on the impact of school uniform on attainment outcomes. For topics with extremely low evidence, amonth’s progress figure is not displayed. Only 7studies were found that met the inclusion criteria for the Toolkit.
Evidence strengthThis rating provides an overall estimate of the robustness of the evidence, to help support professional decision-making in schools.
Number of studies7
Review last updatedJuly 2021
Local evidence
Guidance Reports
Improving Behaviour in Schools
Six recommendations for improving behaviour in schools
SecondaryPrimary
Guidance Reports
Working with Parents to Support Children’s Learning
Four recommendations on working with parents to support their child’s learning
SecondaryPrimary
