Labour cuts back-to-school costs for Dudley families with free breakfast clubs and cheaper school uniforms
Three Dudley primary schools to offer free breakfast clubs from September – saving families up to £450 a year
Families across Dudley will benefit from lower back-to-school costs this September, as the Labour Government expands its free breakfast club programme and introduces new limits on expensive branded school uniforms.
From September 2026, three Dudley primary schools will join the Government’s Best Start Free Breakfast Clubs programme:
- Russells Hall Primary School
- The Bromley-Pensnett Primary School
- Brockmoor Primary School
The new clubs will provide children with a free, nutritious breakfast and supervised childcare before the school day begins, saving working families up to £450 a year while helping pupils arrive at school ready to learn.
The expansion means more than 2,700 schools nationwide will be offering free breakfast clubs from September, benefiting over 680,000 children across England.
Cheaper school uniforms from September
Families will also benefit from new legal limits on branded school uniform requirements.
From September, schools must comply with new rules limiting the number of compulsory branded uniform items they require, allowing parents to buy more everyday essentials such as trousers, shirts and skirts from supermarkets and high street retailers instead of expensive specialist suppliers.
The Government has also issued strengthened guidance encouraging schools to reduce the cost of higher-priced items such as blazers and jumpers ahead of the 2027 school year.
Taken together with the expansion of free breakfast clubs and wider eligibility for free school meals, many families could save almost £1,000 a year on the cost of sending their children to school.
Sonia Kumar MP said:
“I’m delighted that three schools in Dudley will be offering free breakfast clubs from September, helping families with the cost of living while ensuring children start the school day with a healthy breakfast and ready to learn.
“These clubs will save parents up to £450 a year in childcare costs and make mornings that little bit easier for busy working families.
“Alongside action to reduce the cost of school uniforms, Labour is making a real difference to household budgets and ensuring every child has the best possible start to the school day.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“No parent should have to choose between a summer day out and kitting their child out for school.
“From September, families will feel the difference at the school gates: free breakfast clubs at 1,400 more schools, an end to expensive lists of branded uniform, and more free lunches for those who need them.
“That’s the British childhood this government believes in—and why we’ll always fight to give every child the very best start in life.”
Supporting families with the cost of living
Today’s announcement builds on Labour’s wider programme to help working families, including:
- Free breakfast clubs saving families up to £450 a year
- Expanded free school meals for all children in households receiving Universal Credit
- Legal limits on expensive branded school uniforms
- The largest expansion of funded childcare in England’s history, saving eligible families around £8,000 per child each year
- The Great British Summer Savings initiative, including reduced VAT on children’s meals and attractions, and free bus travel for children throughout August
Together, these measures are designed to ease the cost of living while giving every child the best possible start in life.