# School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Act (Northern Ireland) 2026, Section 16: Reporting on guidelines and costs

Extent: N.I.

(1) At least once every 3 years, the Department of Education must publish a report—
(a) setting out the Department’s plans for—
(i) reviewing (and revising) guidelines under Chapter 1, and
(ii) guidelines under Chapter 1 to include provision, or to have no or altered provision, as to capping of expense, and
(b) containing broader information in accordance with the following subsections.
(2) The report must—
(a) summarise—
(i) as the Department’s best estimates, the typical or average costs of school uniforms and individual pieces of such uniforms, and
(ii) so far as known to the Department, the various factors contributing to such costs rising, remaining unchanged or becoming lower, and
(b) the Department’s assessment of the impact of provision as to capping of expense for the time being included in guidelines under Chapter 1.
(3) The report must, if no provision as to capping of expense is for the time being included in guidelines under Chapter 1, state the Department’s explanation for this.
(4) The report may reflect the distinctions, as appearing to the Department, between uniforms worn—
(a) at particular types or descriptions of schools, or
(b) by pupils—
(i) in particular age or year groups, or
(ii) receiving primary education or secondary education as construed in accordance with Article 2(2) of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2026/1/section/16 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/school-uniforms-guidelines-and-allowances-act-northern-ireland-2026/section-16
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.