Schools begged to stop changing their uniforms to save parents from crippling bills Local Government Association urges schools to cut uniform costs Schools changing names or to academy status particularly introduce new clothing rules Some parents resorting to borrowing and debts Secondary school uniforms costing an average £285 and £156 at primary school Costly clothes: The average primary school uniform costs £156, rising to £285 at secondary school, research shows Schools are being urged to stop changing their uniforms amid concerns it is placing an intolerable strain on many parents. A raft of schools are becoming academies with many introducing expensive uniforms that mirror those in the private sector. The prices are so high that large that families with two or three children are having to go into debt or borrow from family and friends. But with research suggesting that the average cost of a uniform for secondary school pupils is £285 and £156 for primary school children, council chiefs have intervened. The Local Government Association, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, is urging schools changing uniforms to alter just one or two items, or introduce replacement sew-on logos. Some parents fear they are putting their children at risk of detention in an era when many head teachers will not tolerate any breach of uniform rules. The situation is not helped by the fact that many schools have ignored pleas from successive governments to allow parents to buy generic cheap supermarket uniforms. Instead, many incorporate special design elements on trousers, blazers and jumpers and insist families use school shops or specialist outfitters. David Simmonds, of the LGA, said: "As scores of schools change their names or identities it is understandable that many will want to mark this, but head teachers need to bear in mind the potential financial cost to already hard-pressed families. Parents already look to minimise costs by buying larger uniforms that their children can grow into, shopping in sales, spreading the cost by starting to buy items as early as spring, or even buying second hand items such as school blazers. But it's more difficult for mums and dads to plan ahead when their child is set to attend a newly built or rebranded school. Head teachers have a responsibility to minimise any additional costs that occur because they change their school's name or status, for whatever reason. The last thing parents want to hear is that they will have to foot the bill for entirely different uniforms, sometimes just 12 months after they bought the last one. New schools: More than 50 per cent of secondary schools are either academies or in the process of becoming academies We'd like to see schools sticking close to an existing colour scheme, changing one item only such as a tie, or allowing parents to sew new badges and logos onto clothes. Offering uniforms from a number of retailers also brings in the necessary competition to keep costs down. Last summer, figures from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), revealed parents can pay up to £10 more for each item of school clothing from a specific store. Citizens Advice chief executive, Gillian Guy, said: "Mums and Dads are anxious about the cost of going back to school. Some parents are borrowing money to pay for school clothing because they fear their children will face punishment from teachers or bullying from other kids. It is worrying that many parents are forced to buy school uniforms from a specific shop. This puts unnecessary pressure on already tight budgets by prohibiting choice which stops people shopping around for the best deal. Schools should be fully aware of the squeeze on family budgets and need to rethink their uniform policies. It is unacceptable for parents to be pushed into paying over the odds for items that they could get cheaper elsewhere. More than 50 per cent of secondary schools in England are either academies or in the process of becoming academies.