School clothing grants event at Kobi Nazrul Primary School
The Council has expanded its funding for school clothing grants to support more families dealing with ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
The new measures come after of the Government decision to reduce the number of branded uniform pieces to three (and a school tie in secondary school) to support families in the cost-of-living crisis.
The Council has now extended its grant for children moving into years 3 and 10 from September 2026, in addition to those starting primary and secondary school.
The eligible household income has also been extended from £50,350, to £60,000. Families can claim £50 per child for primary school pupils, and £150 for secondary school pupils.
Since the scheme started last year, it has already supported more than 4,500 pupils (1,591 primary and 2,989 secondary), with a number of new claims being approved and paid every week.
Parents can make an application from when they are notified of their child’s school placement until 31 October.
The grant is part of a unique wider package of support for young people that is arguably the best in the country:
- Tower Hamlets is the only local authority to offer universal free school meals to both primary and secondary school pupils. Since rolling out the scheme in secondary schools (2023), more than 4.5m universal free school meals have been served to secondary school pupils and 10m meals in total.
- The council also re-introduced its Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and University Bursaries in 2022, providing young people with £600 or £1,500 grants to help with costs while they study. It has since supported 3,998 students with an Education Maintenance Allowance and 2,400 students with a University Bursary.
- The council’s youth service, Young Tower Hamlets, was insourced in 2023, with an investment of £13.7 million investment into youth services. The service has opened 20 youth centres including a dedicated girls youth centre and has a goal of having a youth centre in every ward.
The Mayor visited Kobi Nazrul Primary School this week (22 September) to meet parents and pupils, including those who have benefited from the scheme.
Afjalur Rahman Patwary, whose children attend the school said:
“These school clothing grants are a great help already, and to extend them further so that more families will be able to benefit will support even more families who are facing cost-of-living financial problems.”
Belinda King, Headteacher at Kobi Nazrul Primary School said:
"The Mayor’s school uniform scheme has made a genuinely meaningful difference to the families in our school community.
"I know our families really well and I see first-hand the difficulties many are facing, so I know that something as simple as providing school uniform can take away a real financial worry.
"For our children, it is about much more than a uniform; it’s a leveller! It means they can come into school feeling proud, comfortable and included, knowing that they look and feel just like their friends.
"I’m incredibly grateful for the Tower Hamlets Mayor’s support. Our community is incredibly strong and caring, and schemes like this show families that they are seen, valued and supported."
Mohammod Chowdhury from Bethnal Green received the grant for his daughter Latifa, who started reception class at Bonner Primary School.
Mr Chowdhury said:
“I am so happy to receive the clothing grant which makes a big difference. The grant has already helped our family to buy a school uniform for my daughter as she starts Reception class at her primary school.
“It is really important to let other families know that these grants are available, as they are a very big help for families finding the money to buy new school clothes for their children.”
Firdusi Uddin, Head of School at St Pauls Way Trust School, a local secondary school in the borough said:
“We are really pleased to see Tower Hamlets continuing to support families through the school clothing grant.
“School uniform plays an important role in fostering community and high expectations. For many parents, the cost of uniform can be a real concern, especially at the start of the school year.
“This funding will help to ease that pressure and make sure young people can come to school feeling comfortable, confident and ready to learn."
Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman said:
“Tower Hamlets is blazing a trail when it comes to supporting young people and families. We already offered the best support package in the country, and now we have made it even better.
“By widening eligibility for free school unforms into two more school years, and increasing the income threshold to £60,000, we will help many more families to give their children the best start to the school year.
"That is on top of universal free school meals for every child in both primary and secondary schools; a youth club in every ward and grants for college and university.
“We have also reintroduced Education Maintenance Allowances and University Bursaries, helping thousands of young people with the costs of further and higher education.
“Alongside our £13.7 million investment in youth services, which has already seen 20 youth centres opened across the borough, we are committed to making Tower Hamlets a place where every child and young person can thrive, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.”
From information provided by schools, parents and carers have been contacted by the council with details of the scheme and invited to make an application. However, all local families with a child starting school who feel that they may meet the criteria, are encouraged to find out more and to consider making a claim.
Cllr Abu Talha Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets and Governance, said:
“We know that the cost of school uniforms can be a significant expense for families, particularly at key transition points in a child’s education.
“By extending our School Clothing Grant scheme to more year groups and increasing the income threshold, we are making this support available to more families across Tower Hamlets.
Cllr Faysal Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Life Chances, said:
“We want every child to start the school year feeling confident, prepared and ready to learn, while helping parents and carers manage the ongoing pressures on household budgets.
“This is why we are expanding the schools clothing grants scheme so that more children can benefit, ensuring that families receive the support they need so that every child has the opportunity to succeed.”
Families can visit the dedicated webpage for full details on the application process, including who can apply, what proof of income is required, the application deadline, and a link to the form itself.
The school clothing grant application deadline for this new school year is 31 October 2026. The website will be updated to reflect any further changes to the process.
Posted on Friday 25th September 2026