It's not all cuts...school uniform grants to go ahead

A child starting at a new school is a costly business. There are books, stationery and lunchboxes to buy, not to mention a whole new uniform.

Enfield Council has just announced a new scheme set to tackle one of these unavoidable costs. The school uniform grant will help low income families to buy uniforms for their children starting at primary school this year - and next year it will extended to include pupils transferring to secondary school too.

Councillor Ayfer Orhan, Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services, said: "the grant is for those families on low incomes and we estimate that it will be available to over 2,000 children. Our scheme supports a cherished ideal that no child should feel unable to attend school because they have no uniform - and we are determined to ensure that all eligible families apply for the grant."

The grant for primary school children will be £22 and for secondary school pupils £85. Parents will children already at school will also be able to claim retrospectively but from next year the scheme will operate as a voucher system. For more information call 020 8379 5367.

Picture: Joe Backward