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School uniform support scheme

Our school uniform support scheme supported families living in the Barnsley local authority area with a grant towards the cost of buying school uniform for the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

We know school uniforms can be expensive, so we provided a one-off voucher (redeemable for cash at a post office) to eligible families as part of our Great Childhoods Ambition.

Eligibility

All families who live in the Barnsley local authority area, with statutory school-age children who are enrolled in school, were eligible for the grant (one voucher per child). Families who live in Barnsley but whose children attend a school outside of the borough were also eligible.

Statutory school-age children are those from reception class up to and including year 11. Children at nursery, or in years 12 and 13, were not eligible for the grant.

Grant amount

The voucher amount provided was dependent on whether your child attended primary or secondary school:

• £50 per primary school aged child
• £100 per secondary school aged child

The difference in value reflects the higher cost of a uniform for older children and the number of school-specific items required.

Receiving the voucher

Vouchers were issued to eligible families from July 2025, with the aim of these being received before the start of the new school year. Vouchers were redeemable for up to three months from the date stated on the voucher.

Families who didn't receive a voucher but thought they were still eligible for the grant could apply for this until 31 October 2025.

Expired or lost vouchers

If you received a voucher but didn't claim the grant and the voucher has now expired or been lost, contact us online to request a new voucher.

What the grant can be used for

You can use the grant to purchase items from any authorised retailer for branded uniform, or a different retailer for unbranded items, as long as it's in line with your child’s school uniform policy.

If you've already bought school uniform, the grant is a reimbursement against those previously purchased items. Or you can use it towards additional school uniform.

Funding and evaluation of the scheme

The investment for this scheme was made possible by additional one-off funds from an improved local government financial settlement for 2025/26. This enabled us to invest in initiatives that support our Council Plan priorities, such as financial support for businesses and free bus travel for under 18s.

To evaluate the scheme we'll work with schools to assess the impact on attendance and compliance with uniform policies.  We'll also gather feedback through various other channels.