# School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Act (Northern Ireland) 2026, Section 8: Directions on adherence to guidelines

Extent: N.I.

(1) The Department must give directions to a manager of a school as follows if the Department is satisfied that the manager is (or staff at the school are) in one or more material respects failing to adhere as required to guidelines under this Chapter.
(2) The Department may give directions to a manager of a school as follows if the Department is satisfied that the school’s pupils are liable to disciplinary measures or participatory disadvantages at the insistence of the manager (or of staff at the school) in consequence of breaching a school uniform policy applying at the school.
(3) The Department is entitled to be so satisfied only on the basis of its assessment of—
(a) the terms of the school uniform policy applying at the school, or
(b) information in—
(i) a complaint coming to the Department from any source,
(ii) a report prepared with respect to the school under Article 102(6A) of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, or
(iii) a report of an investigation relating to the school if sent to the Department under section 43 of the Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.
(4) However, the Department is not obliged to act in response to such a complaint concerning the school uniform policy if it appears to the Department that the school’s own complaints procedures have not been exhausted in the particular case.
(5) The Department is to invite representations from the manager of the school so as to inform the Department’s assessment of such information.
(6) Directions given by the Department to the manager of the school in relation to adherence to guidelines may include the instruction that the failure is (in specific respects) to be rectified—
(a) by particular times, or
(b) for or in connection with—
(i) particular school terms or years in future, or
(ii) future school terms or years generally.
(7) Directions given by the Department to the manager of the school in relation to disciplinary measures or participatory disadvantages may include the instruction that they are to be—
(a) ended (wholly or partly), or
(b) moderated (in specific respects).
(8) Directions given by the Department to the manager in relation to—
(a) adherence to guidelines, or
(b) disciplinary measures or participatory disadvantages,
create the same duty in every case, and are enforceable in every case in the same way, as mentioned (in different circumstances) in Article 101(6) of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.
(9) Where the Department gives directions under this section, the Department must publish the text of them within 3 months of giving them.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2026/1/section/8 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/school-uniforms-guidelines-and-allowances-act-northern-ireland-2026/section-8
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.