School Blazers: A Stealth Tax on Education?

An education stealth tax goes like this:

Children must attend school
Children must wear school uniform
Pay up, or else!

When schools insist on clothing with logos, they increase prices. The government says this is unacceptable. (see Addendum). But they didn’t tackle the cost of school blazers. Blazers are an expensive item of compulsory school clothing. Havering’s parents pay excessive amounts for blazers, which are a relic of a by-gone era.¹

To save researching all 18 of Havering’s schools I reviewed six, which is a good sample. They are in alphabetical order.

Abbs Cross blazer costs between £38:50 and £41:50; Bower Park: £37:50-£45.50; Drapers: £35:50-£43.99; Emerson Park: £32-£45; Gaynes: £38.50-£41.50; Hall Mead: £34-£40.

Havering has nearly 18,000 secondary students. Wearing blazers is compulsory. A heroic estimate, based on experience, says students need three blazers in their school years. The Havering blazer ‘bill’ is huge. There are a variety of prices but let’s assume an average price of £40.

Compulsory school blazers is a £2,160,000 ‘tax bill’

Two million pounds plus requires an explanation when it’s claimed to be as important as attendance. So, what do schools say?

Abbs Cross “…all students to be in full school uniform and be suitably dressed for P.E., Games and Swimming.⁴

Bower Park “We insist on the following simple, but smart, uniform for all students at the academy.”⁵

Drapers “There is no compromise on the uniform. Parents are asked for their unwavering support in transforming standards at every level.”⁶ (my emphasis)

Emerson Park We have a smart and practical uniform which must be worn during school hours and when pupils travel to and from the Academy….whilst also presenting a good image of the Academy to the community.⁷ (my emphasis)

Gaynes They list ten items of clothing, which are compulsory. Additionally, there are 49 words of *guidance* on hairstyles. The *guidance* can be summarised as, “If we don’t like it, you can’t do it”. There is no explanation for any of this.⁸

Hall Mead The Academy has a strict policy on school uniform. This policy should be read in conjunction with the Academy’s Behaviour and Attendance Policy, as disciplinary sanctions may be imposed for breach.⁹(my emphasis)

It’s absurd to believe that any teacher who has stepped outside the school gates for 30 seconds can believe that blazers are anything other than an oddity. For them to also believe that blazers are critical to learning, compounds the absurdity. Yet, Havering’s schools do believe blazers are very important. They enforce their absurd beliefs with ferocious penalties. (see note 6 for the penalties Drapers school inflicts.)

Havering’s schools are locked in a performative tautology. Blazers are compulsorybecause they are. Blazers are co-equal with attendance in the eyes of senior management.

Addendum: Statutory advice on school uniforms

Single supplier contracts should be avoided unless regular tendering competitions are run where more than one supplier can compete for the contract and where the best value for money is secured. This contract should be retendered at least every 5 years….Schools should keep the use of branded items to a minimum. (my emphasis)

Source Cost of school uniforms – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Notes

1 Schools often provide access to second hand uniforms.

2 Abbs Cross Academy – SCHOOL UNIFORM DIRECT For the other five schools just follow the links on their websites

3 Havering has 17,951 secondary school students

4 Uniform – Abbs Cross Academy

5 Uniform-Expectations.pdf

6 Uniform – Drapers’ Academy see also Policy Title: p7 Internal Exclusion Room The Internal Exclusion Room (IER) is used as an alternative to external suspension. Pupils work for one day or more, determined by SLT, and complete their classwork in a separate supervised environment. They have a shortened supervised break and lunch at a different time to other pupils. (my emphasis)

Drapers use the Internal Exclusion Room to enforce discipline. Students are punished by having their educational opportunities reduced. Uniform is seen as co-equal with nine other infractions: Point 3: Arriving to school in incorrect uniform and refusing to address this.

7 Emerson Park Academy – Uniform

8 Uniform – Gaynes School

9 Uniform – Hall Mead School

Havering’s Academies Believe in Magic

“[Magic is]…the use of special powers to make things happen that would usually be impossible…”¹

Academies have a magical belief in the importance of uniforms to learning. Unfortunately, school uniforms are part of a ‘Belief system’, not an educational strategy.

Magic explains why every academy believes uniforms are important and an eligibility criterion for entry to their schools. Academies demand school uniform despite knowing they don’t improve learning outcomes.

Case Studies

Abbs Cross Academy “Blazer:Black with green piping and embroidered school motif. School tie:black and green stripe with logo.” These cost about £47 and are compulsory. They need to be replaced about every two years.²

Abbs Cross is a Loxford Trust school who, “…thrives on its exacting and uncompromising nature and its quest for success for all students”. They don’t mention school uniform.³ The alleged importance of school uniform goes beyond school, “Trust Schools have the power to sanction pupils for misbehaviour outside of the school premises to such an extent as is reasonable….when wearing school uniform…”⁴ They worry about reputational damage if students misbehave in uniform.

Harris Academy Rainham The compulsory blazer and tie combo cost £46 every two years. (Boys must wear a tie but girls, surprisingly, don’t.)⁵ “Our uniform is an important part of encouraging and maintaining our school ethos of Belong, Believe, Become.

“Belong, Believe, Become,” is cute alliteration and meaningless. It’s feel-good PR drivel.

Royal Liberty The compulsory blazer and tie combo is about £36 plus seven other items. This is pricy. They don’t justify uniforms as a route to achievement, “At Royal Liberty we want our students to look smart in their school uniform at all times; not only in school but also travelling to and from school. We feel it is important that students have pride in their school and respect its uniform by wearing it neatly.”⁶ (see research note)

Discussion

The schools don’t justify their tax on learning. They are a herd, who have uniforms because everyone else does. They don’t critique school uniform or substantive educational issues.⁷ Havering isn’t an educational island⁸ and the cost of school uniforms could be better spent on significant educational opportunities.

School uniforms are a tax on learning.

Research note These schools were selected randomly but tell the same story. A survey of the other 15 schools offered no alternative narratives.

Notes

1 MAGIC | English meaning – Cambridge Dictionary

2 Abbs Cross Academy – SCHOOL UNIFORM DIRECT

3 School Priorities – Abbs Cross Academy

4 DUE-SUMMER-2026-POLICY-BEHAVIOUR-POLICY.pdf

5 School Uniform – Harris Academy Rainham

6 School Uniform Code – Next Review_ Sept 2025 (DHI).pdf – Google Drive

7 Havering and Redbridge’s Secondary Schools: A Comparison, 2024 – Politics in Havering see also Havering and Redbridge: A Tale of Two Boroughs – Politics in Havering This is dated 2019, which is pre-Covid

8 Havering and Redbridge’s Disadvantaged Secondary Students – Politics in Havering This refers to 2022

Drapers’ Academy and Disadvantaged Students

[Nationally] 25.2% of disadvantaged pupils and 52.4% of all other pupils got a grade 5 or above [in GCSE English and Maths]¹

Drapers’ Academy should be experts in educating disadvantaged students. In 2024 they entered 89 disadvantaged students for GCSE. They have a critical mass enabling the school to pivot teaching to their needs. Achieving Gold Standard GCSEs, which are Grade 5+ for English and Maths, for the disadvantaged demands robust strategies. Poverty doesn’t cause the under-achievement of disadvantaged children but there’s a correlation.²

Drapers’, in 2024, beat the national average. Their disadvantaged students achieved 28.1% Gold Standard.

Drapers’ Academy is managed by Queen Mary University, London. A university management trust should utilise their research expertise with GCSE results. They’re a diagnostic tool for research. Once data is analysed they can recommend the best strategies for improving outcomes.

St Edward’s Academy, Romford³actively research the achievement of the disadvantaged. (see Addendum two) In 2024 they achieved significantly superior⁴ results to Drapers’. If replicated at Drapers’, seven extra Gold Standard successes would have occurred.

The government’s 2024 Pupil Premium payment for Year 11 at Drapers’ was a minimum of £93,450.⁵ Did that £93K raise standards? Drapers’ are committed to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Child Development.⁶ GCSE results in 2024 didn’t endorse its insights.

Drapers’ had 89 students facing significant challenges in 2024. They have huge amounts of Pupil Premium funding, an academic management team and a desire to succeed. If St Edward’s can do it why not Drapers’?

Addendum One: Drapers’ Academy, Chair of Governors

Oliver Everett is a Liveryman of the Drapers’ Company. He is a farmer and a consultant specialising in the link between the private sector and government, working extensively in Africa. Outside work, he is an Entrepreneur Mentor in Residence at London Business School.

Addendum Two: St Edward’s and their access to research

Having Unity Research School as part of Unity Schools Partnership means that Unity’s schools have instant access to evidence-based information which they can use in the classroom to improve outcomes for pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In an age of over-whelming amounts of pseudo-evidence, Unity Research School provides a solid and trustworthy source of information, proven to work in school settings and can help each school apply the evidence so that it is relevant to their setting and pupils’ needs.⁷

Notes

1 Attainment at age 16 – Social Mobility Commission State of the Nation – GOV.UK

2 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/correlation

3 Results by pupil characteristics – St Edward’s Church of England Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK They aren’t a privileged school. 36% of their students in 2024 were disadvantaged. Coopers Coburn had 5% disadvantaged students who achieved three Gold Standard passes.

4 Seven doesn’t look much but it is 28.5 percentage points greater.

5 The 89 students would have generated several hundred thousand pounds of Pupil Premium funding over their five years at the school

6 Pupil Premium – Drapers’ Academy

7 Unity Research School | Unity Schools Partnership

Havering’s Secondary Schools: Two Government Assessments

Havering’s schools have two forms of government assessment. Firstly, Progress 8 predicts GCSE results by using a statistical analysis of KS2. Schools which add value means children will out-perform their expected grades. Secondly, OFSTED reports. They happen at multi-year intervals. Inspectors grade schools using five headings, (1) Overall effectiveness, (2) Effectiveness of leadership and management, (3) Quality of teaching, learning and assessment, (4) Personal development, behaviour and welfare and (5) Outcomes for pupils.

Progress 8

Well Above Average¹

Sacred Heart of Mary, Campion and Harris Academy Rainham

Above Average

Royal Liberty, Coopers Coborn, Frances Bardsley, Hall Mead, Redden Court and Hornchurch High

Average

Gaynes, St Edward’s and Drapers’

Below Average

Abbs Cross, Emerson Park, Marshalls Park, Brittons and Sanders Draper

Well Below Average

Bower Park

OFSTED

OFSTED uses four summary categories Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate. Reports aren’t annual and not necessarily current.

Outstanding

Hall Mead, Redden Court, Sacred Heart of Mary, Francis Bardsley (3 categories out of 5), and Royal Liberty (short inspection)

Good

Every other school.

Discussion

There’s no correlation between the two government assessments.

OFSTED criteria, Quality of teaching, learning and assessment and Outcomes for pupils are critical for every stakeholder using the reports.

How can a 22% GCSE Grade 5+ English and Maths pass rate for disadvantaged children at Abbs Cross² be rewarded by a ‘Good’ assessment. OFSTED say, Trustees, leaders and staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). (my emphasis). ‘High expectations’ in this context is overblown.

Likewise, Marshalls Park. 42.1% non-disadvantaged children passed Grade 5+ English and Maths and are rated ‘Good’. This result is 5% below the national average and 10% below the Havering comparator. Worse: disadvantaged children achieved a sickening 21.8%⁴ English and Maths Gold Standard pass rate at Marshalls Park.

OFSTED reports aren’t fit for purpose. Their reports lack rigour and ignore outcomes which are important to society. Progress 8 focuses on added value, whichschools create. OFSTED ignores these insights. This is a criminal dereliction of duty.

Notes

1 Search results for “Havering” – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK See also Havering’s Secondary Academies: Their Progress 8 Rankings, 2024 – Politics in Havering

2 Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK Grade 5+ English and Maths is a Gold Standard acting as an entry point for many post 16 opportunities

3 Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College – Open – Find an Inspection Report – Ofsted

4 Results by pupil characteristics – Marshalls Park Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK

Havering’s Academies On Parade: Choose Me!

In the 1950s children attended their nearest secondary school and four years later they left. They started work the following Monday. And that was that.

It’s more complex nowadays. Schools are expected to be attractive and parents must choose a school. How? Choosing implies knowledge. Diligent parents do research, read OFSTED reports, scrutinise school’s web pages and attend Open Evenings.

Good GCSE results are a selling point for some parents. But what if the school isn’t a stellar performer? What happens then?

They shamelessly duck and dive.

St. Edwards Academy have an out-of-date ‘Performance and Results’ page. This is supported by the government performance website, which tells the reader that the school’s grade is ‘Well above average’.²Expertise is needed to understand the website. The 2022 OFSTED report, which is readable, is good.³

Meanwhile Marshalls Park Academy is, “…incredibly proud of all students….and our 2024 results include many notable success stories.”³ They follow up with a link to the government website.⁴ Its banding is, “Well Below Average”.⁵ Nonetheless the school reaches the national ‘Gold Standard’ GCSE English and Maths grade 5.⁶

Coopers Coburn,⁸ Drapers Academy⁹ and Harris Academy Rainham¹⁰ publish exam results in full. Parents, who care about GCSE results, know exactly where they stand. There’s no ambiguity.

GCSE results aren’t commercial secrets, which need protecting. They’re part of the way in which parents chose a school for their child.

Addendum: Research note

This was written on the 27^th October 2024. The schools quoted are a sample of the 18 academies in Havering. This topic is discussed in more detail here.¹¹

Notes

1 Performance & Results | St Edward’s Church of England Academy

2 St Edward’s Church of England Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK A dedicated parent would look at this table Download data – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK

3 St Edward’s Church of England Academy – Open – Find an Inspection Report – Ofsted

4 Marshalls Park Academy – Exam Results It continues, “Our two top performing students were Ralph Gilroy and Caoimhe Juson, with an impressive 16 grade 8 and 9’s between them.” The misplaced apostrophe is unfortunate in this context

5 Marshalls Park Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK

6 loc.cit. This relates to 2023. It’s included because the school directed the reader to it.

7 loc.cit.

8 GCSE-Examination-Results-2024.pdf

9 Headline-Results-2024-main.pdf

10 Examinations Results – Harris Academy Rainham

11 How Havering’s Academies Conceal their 2022 GCSE Results – Politics in Havering NB Harris Academy have changed their presentation of results since 2022 and are now an example of best practice.

Havering and the Loxford School Trust

Abbs Cross and Gaynes Academies are owned by Loxford Schools Trust, Ilford. Loxford school is ‘outstanding’. Their Leadership Team believe they can transfer their successful formula. They now own five secondary academies.¹

Academies are government funded businesses with Loxford receiving £50m.² The twelve person leadership team, earn between £100,000 and £250,000. (Their CEO earns £54,000 more than Havering’s chief executive.) Stellar salaries demand consistent stellar performance. Their principal challenge is under-achievement of Disadvantaged Students.³

The Gold Standard: Grade 5 GCSE in English and Mathematics

The national outcome for disadvantaged students is 25.2% Gold Standard successes. For non-disadvantaged students the national outcome is 45.2%. This huge gap must be bridged to be rated excellent. Loxford School is excellent. Their disadvantaged students achieved 56% for the Gold Standard. Loxford’s disadvantaged students beat the national outcome in both categories. An outstanding performance.

It’s a different story in Havering.

Abbs Cross Academy: 23% of their disadvantaged students achieved the Gold Standard.⁴

Gaynes Academy: 33% of their disadvantaged students achieved the Gold Standard.⁵

Neither come close to Loxford’s result. Nor do they come close to the national 45.2% for non-disadvantaged students. Loxford’s Havering schools haven’t closed the Attainment Gap.

Havering, in general, has significant problems with under-achievement by disadvantaged students. Only four schools out of 18 reach 45.2% with their disadvantaged students. Loxford massively exceeded the national outcome with their disadvantaged students.

Conclusion

Loxford Schools Trust have failed. Four of their six secondary academies are below the all-student Gold Standard. Tabor Academy is catastrophically below that standard. They should be humble and recognise their stunning success in inner-city Ilford hasn’t travelled well.

Addendum: Loxford’s other academies and their Gold Standard outcomes

Warren Academy

49% for disadvantaged students, which is above the national outcome for all students. Barking and Dagenham’s non-disadvantaged students achieved 54%. ⁶

Tabor Academy

15% for disadvantaged students. This is catastrophic and demands action from the *stellar* Leadership Team in Ilford. Essex’s non-disadvantaged students achieved 49%. ⁷

Cecil Jones Academy

25% for disadvantaged students, which is the national average. Southend’s non-disadvantaged students achieved a stunning 66%. ⁸

Notes

1 Governance Profiles – Loxford School Trust

2 LOXFORD 2023ACCSWIZ.cvw (loxfordtrust.s3.amazonaws.com) see p71

3 Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2022/23 – Explore education statistics – GOV.UK (explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk) Table 8 is an excellent summary

4 Results by pupil characteristics – Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK (compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk) See also Havering’s GCSE Attainment Gap, 2023 – Politics in Havering

5 Results by pupil characteristics – Gaynes School – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK (compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk)

6 Results by pupil characteristics – The Warren School – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK (compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk)

7 Results by pupil characteristics – Tabor Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK (compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk)

8 Results by pupil characteristics – Cecil Jones Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK (compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk)