How to Use This Lesson

Example Question Pattern

"Wouldn't it be better to wear the same clothes, so that nobody feels left out?"

The Department for Education in England says that, from September 2026, schools must limit the compulsory branded items of uniform and PE kit to 3 or fewer. Secondary and middle schools must keep to 4 or fewer, if one of the items is a tie. Branded bags count in the limit.

The same guidance says that a navy skirt or a grey cardigan that people can buy from many shops is not a branded item. A blazer with a logo sewn onto it is branded. The guidance also says that schools should make sure that all parents have an easy way to get second-hand uniform.

Researchers at Ohio State University followed 6,320 students in the United States from kindergarten to the end of fifth grade. Uniforms had no effect on teachers' ratings of behaviour in any grade. Low-income students at uniform schools came to school slightly more often, by less than one day a year. In fifth grade, students at uniform schools reported a lower sense of belonging.

These facts seem to show that the English rules are mainly about cost, and I think the Ohio State results suggest that uniforms do not change behaviour very much. The study followed children in the United States from kindergarten to fifth grade, so it may not apply to older students or to other countries, and the guidance does not show whether the limit makes uniforms cheaper.

Questions 1–2: Matching Information

Which paragraph contains the following information? Choose the correct paragraph (A–D).

1. Which paragraph contains information about the maximum number of items with a logo allowed in English schools?

2. Which paragraph mentions findings regarding how often children attend school?

Questions 3–5: Yes / No / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the passage? Select YES, NO, or NOT GIVEN.

3. From September 2026, English secondary schools can require up to four branded items if a tie is included.

4. The Department for Education guidelines have significantly reduced the money parents spend on uniforms.

5. The writer believes the Ohio State study shows that wearing uniforms has a strong impact on student behavior.

Questions 6–7: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

6. According to Paragraph B, which of the following is considered a non-branded item?

7. Why does the writer suggest the Ohio State study results may be limited?

Questions 8–10: Summary Completion

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Question 8

Under the new English guidance, schools should make sure parents have an easy way to get ____ uniform.

Question 9

In the US research, uniforms had no effect on how teachers rated student ____.

Question 10

Fifth-grade students wearing uniforms reported a reduced sense of ____.