Insight October 2023

Banner Annual Report

Explore the latest on Banner’s sustainability journey in their 3rd annual impact report.

The Education Act

Go back to basics with what the DfE act is and what it means for you.

What are Tenders?

Everything you need to know about tenders and the tendering process.

Your Sustainability Journey

Simple steps to outlining a comprehensive strategy to impress schools.

October 2023

The Education Act - key points Why uniform?

What are Tenders?

Introduction

Welcome to the September/October 2023 issue of Insight.

Back to School has been and gone, and we now find ourselves in the between period of reflection and forward planning for 2024.

To give you some food for thought during this time, this issue is going ‘back to basics’ regarding DfE guidance, uniform tendering and general best practice. September is after all the month of fresh starts and new beginnings, a legacy from our own school days. So, there’s no better time to revisit some of the most important aspects of uniform supply.

This issue brings you lots of summary style information, revisiting topics such as…

DfE guidance around cost of school uniform.

Tendering – an overview.

What schools want to know.

Why uniform.

Talking about sustainability in tenders.

Plus, we bring you some updates from around the industry, including the latest annual report from Banner. We hope you enjoy this latest autumn edition of Insight and wish you success for the rest of the year ahead.

Insight Team

Banner’s Annual Report for 2022

Banner Ltd, the UK’s largest schoolwear and sportswear supplier, has released its 2022 sustainability impact report titled ‘Be Better Together.’ The new interactive report emphasises substantial progress towards a greener and fairer future for the people, planet and communities Banner serves.

Through an unwavering commitment to providing uniform that students are proud to wear, Banner’s standout achievements in 2022 include the transition of 65% of its products to eco fabrics. This over-achievement of its goal of 50% launches the business into a strong position for achieving 100% by 2025.

As an active participant in the UN Climate Neutral Now initiative since 2021, Banner also achieved a new level of transparency regarding carbon emission reporting.

The report outlines its Scope 3 footprint –a more detailed insight into the impacts of the external supply chain on the business’ overall footprint. By offsetting its carbon emissions, Banner is proud to be a carbon neutral business for its UK operations and holds an impressive triple gold CNN accreditation.

Commenting is Sustainability Manager, Sarah Robins. “We have remained steadfast in our responsibility as the largest schoolwear supplier and our ambition to be market leader in sustainability. This can be seen

through our actions, approach to challenges, and most importantly, our transparency.”

There’s a clear effort and ongoing commitment made by Banner to becoming a better business and it has made a change of company articles to reflect this.

“This means that our Board is now legally bound to give consideration to planet, people and community as well as profit in all decisions,” explains Ian Webb, CFO at Banner. “We have reinforced this by signing up to the Better Business Act, which stands for the same principles.”

By signing up to support the Better Business Act (BBA) and beginning its B Corp journey, Banner confirms its vision of being a force for good and to drive positive change.

Looking ahead to Banner’s vision for the future is CEO, Glenn Leech.

“We have a strong business in a resilient market. And we have an ambitious goal to be recognised as #1 in our market for sustainability by all our customers. Whatever we achieve, our commitment to being a force for good is longstanding. It’s who we are and what we do.”

Banner’s third annual impact report was launched to all of its customers on 24 May 2023 in a brand-new interactive format.

Click Here to view the report

Banner has achieved a new level of transparency regarding carbon emission reporting.

65%

of Banner’s products transitioned to eco fabrics. This over-achievement of its goal of 50% launches the business into a strong position for achieving 100% by 2025.

By offsetting its carbon emissions, Banner is proud to be a carbon neutral business for its UK operations and holds an impressive triple gold CNN accreditation.

“We have a strong business in a resilient market. And we have an ambitious goal to be recognised as #1 in our market for sustainability by all our customers. Whatever we achieve, our commitment to being a force for good is longstanding. It’s who we are and what we do.”

- Glenn Leech

By signing up to support the Better Business Act (BBA) and beginning its B Corp journey, Banner confirms its vision of being a force for good and to drive positive change.

The Education Act - Key Points

The legislation means schools will have legal duty to follow the published guidelines on the cost and supply of school uniform. Since the latest legislation was enforced, it has and continues to change the way many schools choose their retailer partners. The key goal of the law is that uniform should be affordable, durable and not exclude those families on lower incomes. The new regulations will apply to school sportswear too.

Under the updated education act, all schools have a responsibility to consider more carefully the cost of uniform and the types of items they require parents to buy.

Uniform policies need to consider best value and quality not just price.

When considering costs, schools should take into account all items that may make up the uniform, including non-specific items like shoes.

Schools should avoid frequent changes to uniform specifications and should be able to show how any proposed change has secured best value for money for parents, or why the change was required.

If a school already has an existing contract, they must have regard to the guidance once they consider renewal or extension of their existing contract.

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Schools should continue to keep branded /badged items to a minimum as per the direction in the 2013 guidance.

Uniform policies should clearly state which items are optional and compulsory and where to purchase items from.

Schools should tender their supply at least every 5 years.

Schools should ensure that second hand uniform and information about its availability is available.

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Schools should consider parents and students’ views on uniform policy when reviewing.

A school’s policy should be available to view by all existing and prospective parents and be easy to understand.

Why Uniform?

Before we delve into tenders in detail, it’s important we revisit why uniform is an important aspect of education.

We all know that school uniform has many advantages for schools, parents and students – and it’s important that we get this message across to schools. Drawing on industry research, we’ve put together ten reasons that make a compelling case for quality uniform and sportswear to help you communicate this with your schools and customers.

Peer groups

Uniform reduces peer pressure on students to dress in the latest trend.

Pride

Uniform instils pride and respect for the values of the school.

Identity

Uniform brings a sense of identity, belonging and community spirit.

Equality

Uniform reduces inequality between pupils from homes with different incomes.

School and Home

Uniform provides an important distinction between school and home life each day.

Appearance

Uniform encourages students to dress smartly and care about their appearance.

Safety

Uniform identifies pupils outside of school helping to keep them and your community safe.

Preparation

Uniforms help students to prepare for dress codes when they leave school.

Durability

Uniform is designed to be worn and washed regularly, unlike many fashion garments.

Value

Uniform is excellent value and reduces overall expenditure for parents.

What are Tenders?

Tenders are a written request in the form of a document sent out to potential suppliers.

A school will release an invitation to tender when they are looking to procure a service or product.

A tender document is the basis of the tendering process that details certain contract criteria. This allows interested suppliers to compete for the contract.

Ready to get started?

The Banner media hub offers lots of support for tendering. Click here to login or request your account.

A school will select their schoolwear supplier based on their scores against the decided criteria.

Tenders may involve multiple stages which could include a formal presentation at the school.

Support

Visit the tender section of the Media Hub to get our step by step guide and support material to help you win and retain school tenders.

What do schools want to know?

During the tender process, schools will have a criterion that is used to score your proposition. Here are a few of the recurring topics that schools have been including within their criteria:

1. Your story, background and experience.

2. Comprehensive product information including visuals.

3. Physical samples with the school logo where appropriate – dress to impress.

4. Supply methods for busy parents.

5. Pricing of garments including views on increases during the term of the tender.

6. Supply chain information and details of the manufacturers that you propose to use including your relationship with these partners, and possibly details of their ability as a supplier.

7. Environmental and Sustainability information including details of any policies.

8. Stock management, availability and lead times.

9. Added value - what more can the retailer offer the school to add value to their tender response.

10. Case studies - provide case studies/details from two schools to whom you currently supply uniform and sportswear.

Sustainability Strategy for Tenders

By following this six-point plan every retailer can have a meaningful sustainability strategy that meets the key criteria of all but the most detailed of tender requirements.

Responsible Suppliers

• Stock garments from leading schoolwear suppliers with strong ethical standards.

• Check for policies on your supplier websites such as Ethical Trading Statement, Modern Slavery Transparency Statement, Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption statement.

• Look for any accreditations or standards achieved for social and ethical compliance.

Eco Products

• Stock eco alternatives across all key ranges – the availability of recycled fabrics is growing every year.

• Promote wash tested and cool wash garments.

• Remember young people want to feel good about what they wear – so promote your eco credentials.

Energy and Carbon Emissions

• Reduce energy consumption with LED lighting and low energy appliances.

• Signing up to renewable energy providers - a simple way to help reduce carbon emissions.

• Monitor and measure your consumption and target year on year reductions.

Packaging

• Can you find ways to reduce packaging and use recyclable materials wherever possible?

• At Banner we are working to eliminate single use plastic packaging from our supply chain with 100% sustainable packaging by 2025.

Community – Giving Back

• Support community activities and encourage staff to take time in the

• community too.

• Forge links with your partner schools and support their community goals.

• Have a community notice board. Perhaps include second hand uniform and sports equipment, and sponsorship support for school/community teams.

Recycle and Reuse

• Get the basics right by adopting good recycling practices in your store.

• Host drop-off boxes for second hand uniform that helps with reuse and show that uniform lasts.

• Holding a second hand uniform sale can be a great way to boost your reputation—and actually helps new business long term.

Starting your sustainability Journey: Top-tips for retailers

Carry out a simple impact assessment on your business.

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You need to have a clear understanding of what impacts your business operations and what activities have on the environment and your local community. A good place to start is by doing an audit of environmental and social impacts across the whole of your business.

Speak to your local schools about what is important to them.

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Measure and record what you are doing – as what gets measured gets done!

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Start by taking monthly meter readings for electricity and heating. Also record your business travel mileages, type of fuel/consumption, water and sewerage as well as a record of waste collected.

Set yourself 3-5 key goals that are realistic and achievable.

Taking small steps and actions really do make a difference.

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Take action from the insights gained from the assessment, aligning with the 3Rs of sustainabilityReduce, Reuse, Recycle.

The first priority here is always focused on ‘reduce’ so think about:

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1) What can I reduce or remove completely?

E.g. energy consumption or consumables such as paper and plastic packaging.

2) Where can I reuse materials? E.g. carton packaging.

3) What can I recycle? E.g. plastic, carton, food waste.

Engage and involve colleagues in every step of the journey.

Engage colleagues every step of the way depending on the size of your business. If you can set up a green task force then great, but at the very least have someone designated as the sustainability lead to support driving the change. Just one simple idea from a colleague could be a real game changer for your business.

Finally, enjoy the journey and share what you are doing with us.

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If you have any questions about measuring your carbon footprint, then don’t hesitate to contact SER@banner.co.uk.

Together we can build a greener and fairer future.

Use wholesalers that have lots of sustainable products & eco credentials!

APTUS Sports Bra workshop at Beacon Academy

On Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th May, members from the Marketing and Product teams at Banner attended the Beacon Academy in East Sussex to present sports bra workshops to female students.

The workshops took place during students’ PE lessons and had the aim of bringing awareness to the importance of wearing sports bras during physical activity. This involved educative material around breast health and breast awareness.

The core inspiration behind the APTUS Sports Bra is to encourage and support girls in school sports. From in-depth research into breast health, it’s evident that sports bras should be an essential part of a girl’s PE kit. In response, we created the first sustainable, fully reversible sports bra designed exclusively for female students. And it’s all in the name of giving girls the support and confidence to enjoy sports at school.

We chose to work with Beacon Academy because they share our passion for supporting students and we know that this includes encouraging confidence in all areas of education. We’re excited to have shared our knowledge about the importance of wearing a sports bra and what the right support can do for building confidence in girls.

Beacon Academy is the first school to take part in the workshops and will be rolling the information out to the whole school through PE lessons. Students are now able to purchase the sports bra through their schoolwear provider as an optional addition to the school’s PE kit list.

Teacher of PE, Miss Dannii Hilder, was inspired to initiate the partnership when she recognised the need to address some of the taboos around talking about breast health and the barriers girls can face when taking part in sports.

“It is a known fact that at secondary school age, girls’ participation in physical activity is not as high as it is for boys. Research conducted by Sport England for “This Girl Can” has identified that barriers include feeling selfconscious about becoming sweaty or

worrying about wearing tight clothing and the movement of their body, to name a few. In their findings, they discovered that only 36% of 11-18-year-olds wear a sports bra for PE and many are unaware of the consequences of not wearing one. Creating a safe space to talk about breast health, sports bras and sports participation is vital to ensure that girls feel comfortable and confident when participating in physical activity. This project with Banner has been ten months in the making and I could not be more thrilled that our students have the opportunity to attend the workshops and purchase the APTUS Sports Bra through the school’s uniform supplier. Women and girls should be proud, confident and happy to participate in physical activity and if we can help to break down some of those barriers then I am confident we are setting them up for future success.”

– Miss Dannii Hilder, Teacher of PE at Beacon Academy

“The impact this will have on the girls will be amazing. It is extremely important to break down the barriers which hold girls back from taking part in sport – this initiative couldn’t have been possible without the vision and planning from Miss Hilder, who has worked with Banner to make her vision a reality.”

– Mrs Karen Carney, Head of PE at Beacon Academy

To find out more about the APTUS Sports Bra Workshop click here.

mediahub.banner.co.uk

Media Hub

Banner’s Media hub is a free to use resource that saves you time, money and effort when building or refreshing your website. It brings together images, videos and promotional material, giving you access to professional quality content at the click of a button.

So whether you’re building or refreshing your website, logging on to Media Hub is the place to start. All it takes is a few simple steps and browsing what’s available to use and inspire from a unique resource library.

Login or request your account here

If you haven’t already used the Media Hub, you can request your details from mediahub.banner.co.uk Once you’re logged on, you can start exploring.

Photography is key to bringing a website to life. High quality images add professionalism and present your products and your store in a clear and attractive way. The Media Hub hosts thousands of contemporary product images in both lifestyle settings as well as on mannequins.

If you’re looking to take your website to the next level, why not add some video to your product pages? The Media Hub has model videos with all our products, adding an extra dimension to your customer’s online experience.

Research tells us that one of the key concerns for customers shopping online is getting the sizing right. The Media Hub provides a full range of sizing videos and measuring guides, making shopping for uniform easier for your customers and giving them confidence to purchase online.

And as a Banner customer, all of this is available for you to download and use on your website or share with your partner schools.

Every month we add fresh images and content to the Media Hub. Your website is a big investment and critical communication channel. By using the Media Hub you can keep it up to date with the latest products, productions and seasonal campaigns.

If you have a question or a suggestion on an issue you’d like us to cover in future editions then please get in touch and email marketing@banner.co.uk

Next Issue...

Every quarter, Insight will bring you all the latest guidance, advice and inspiration from the schoolwear industry to help you in your business. Each issue will be jam-packed with insights from names across the industry - and we want to hear from you too!

Don’t forget, you can get in touch to be featured. Simply email us at marketing@banner.co.uk