00:00argument in the way that you've put forward there.
00:04Question 3óJoyce Watson.
00:05Joyce Watson AM Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update
00:09on what the Welsh Government is doing to help families with school costs?
00:12Lesley Griffiths AM Our school essentials grant has made a huge
00:15difference to lower-income families, reducing worries about uniform and equipment.
00:21Funding of £13.1 million is available for the grant this year.
00:26We also make available resources for schools to address the cost of the school day and
00:31remove barriers caused by poverty.
00:33Joyce Watson AM The school essentials grant has provided,
00:36as you say, invaluable help with school costs to many families, particularly those on low
00:42incomes.
00:43And up to £200 is available to families eligible to help with things, for example, like school
00:49uniforms.
00:51But as well as that, I'm aware of a number of schools that have set up initiatives that
00:55aim to both keep the cost of uniform down and also prevent uniforms ending up in landfill.
01:03In these schemes, uniforms are donated and then given to families who want them for free.
01:09I was lucky to see a real excellent example of this for myself in Priory Church in Wales
01:15school in Brecon, and the swap shop was set up by Councillor Matthew Dorrance and town
01:21councillor Mikella Davies, working with the Labour action team.
01:26But thanks to funding from the Green Man Trust, they now have a permanent site at that school
01:32instead of trying to access the use of halls, et cetera.
01:38Cabinet Secretary, could you join me in urging families to check their eligibility for the
01:45school essentials grant and in thanking schools and individuals for setting up initiatives
01:52that help families with reducing the cost for school uniforms?
01:56Lesley Griffiths AM Thank you very much, Joyce, and can I commend
02:01Councillor Matthew Dorrance and councillor Mikella Davies for the work that they've done
02:07on the swap shop in Brecon?
02:10These are really important initiatives.
02:12Obviously, the school essentials grant is a big help to families, but we also encourage
02:18schools to encourage recycling schemes as well.
02:24You'll probably be aware that we revised our statutory guidance for governing bodies on
02:29school uniform and appearance policies back in May 2023, and changes to the guidance,
02:36as well as including covering things about not having compulsory branded school uniform,
02:42also covers the issue of encouraging uniform recycling schemes to be established and avoiding
02:49single supplier arrangements, which can also reduce costs for families.
02:55It is absolutely vital that we reduce the cost of the school day, because we know that
03:00stigma of poverty doesn't just have an impact on attainment.
03:05It can affect things like attendance, and it's something that we all need to work together
03:11to tackle.
03:12So, I'm very happy to thank the organisations that are doing the good work that you've highlighted.
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