North West parents speak out about the rising cost of school uniforms

Video report & article by ITV Granada Reports correspondent Tasha Kacheri.

Parents have been speaking out about the high prices of school uniforms as children in the North West head back to school.

According to the Children's Society, the average primary school uniform is £315 per child and £337 per secondary school pupil.

A new law has been passed in England to make school uniforms more affordable.

The law will give guidance on how to set uniform policies, ensuring that schools have a balanced amount of branded and non-branded uniforms.

Where you can only get the uniform from one shop, the new guidance will make sure it's more affordable and there will be a greater emphasis on reusing school uniforms. But these new Guidelines will not be in place for the start of this school year.

We caught up with some parents who were waiting at a school uniform shop in Manchester.

The shop is the only seller of school uniforms for one of the cities schools; the queue was around the corner. 

Parent, Candice Evans, said: "I spent £700 on school uniform for two kids... I tell them they can't eat in their blazer because I can't afford it, it's £50 per blazer and I'm a single parent, it's just me. "

Wood St Mission has been distributing new school uniforms to children from low-income families through their Smart Start campaign.

The Children's Charity has already given more than three thousand children a free school uniform to start their year. Now they are looking for donations to give even more.

Manager Des Lynch said: "They're already at a disadvantage because of their family circumstances and various things that are going on in their lives.

"It's vitally important that we make it a level playing field for as many children as we possibly can, and if they walk into school looking and feeling like their fellow classmates, I think that can only be a good thing."

We asked the Department for Education for a comment and they said they planned to issue new guidance about uniform costs this autumn.

The School Uniform Bill was pushed through Parliament by the Cheshire MP Mike Amesbury, who spoke to ITV Granada Reports.