Parents have been forced to fork out hundreds of pounds for new uniforms as schools turn into academies, council leaders said yesterday.

Hundreds of schools are becoming academies each year and mark the switch with a rebranding exercise.

But headteachers and ­governors need to consider the cost to families, the Local Government Association (LGA) said.

Conversion to academy ­status — which means that a school is removed from local authority control and has control over areas such as the ­curriculum — often means that parents have to replace expensive items such as blazers that are still in good condition, the LGA said.

It suggested that instead of introducing entirely new uniforms, new academies should keep costs to a minimum by using plain blazers that can have new badges attached, or ensuring that items such as sports kit and school bags do not have to carry badges.

The LGA estimated that at least 275 schools will convert to academies at the beginning of the new term, while more than 100 are in the process of applying to become an academy.