The countdown is officially on until the school term begins and many parents will be in a mad rush to get uniforms.

From shirts and blazers to shoes, each school will also have its very own dress code which pupils must adhere to.

But what if you do not agree with the rules?

Here are the laws surrounding school uniforms.

Do children have to abide by the school uniform?

John McGrath, legal advisor at DAS Law, said: "A school is entitled and even encouraged to have rules requiring pupils to wear a school uniform.

"The school should have its requirements set out in advance in a clear policy that is accessible to pupils and parents.

"The school can discipline pupils for not complying with the school uniform rules although they are expected to consider a reasonable request to vary the uniform policy and must take care to ensure that any policy does not lead to discrimination, particularly on grounds of sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, disability, religion, or belief.

"The Department for Education’s guidance strongly encourages schools to have a uniform, and its guidance places an emphasis on the views of parents and pupils, as well as an increasing consideration as to the costs when making decisions on their policy."

Can the school really send my children home for not sticking to uniform rules?

"Each maintained school has a behaviour and discipline policy.

"The policy will provide for pupils to be disciplined if they breach the school’s rules, including on uniform and appearance rules.

"Any punishment should be in line with the published behaviour policy and fairness principles.

"The guidance states that where there is a breach of the school uniform policy, either a headteacher - or someone authorised by the headteacher - can ask a pupil to go home to remedy the uniform breach.

"The school is expected to consider carefully whether this would be appropriate considering the child’s age, vulnerability, the ease and time it will take the pupil, and also the availability of the child’s parents in order to decide if this is reasonable in all the circumstances.

"This is not an exclusion but an authorised absence unless the pupil continues to breach the policy to avoid school by being sent home or takes longer than necessary to make the change.

"The updated statutory guidance on exclusions provides that pupils should only be excluded for breaches of the school’s behaviour policy when they have committed a serious or persistent breach of the policy.

"School uniform breaches are usually considered minor disciplinary matters though in some cases of repeated and persistent failures exclusion may be justified."

What are my rights to appeal a school’s decision on uniform?

"Whenever a school uniform policy is in place, a school is expected to consider reasonable requests and give consideration when the request is made to meet the needs of individual pupils to accommodate their religion or belief, ethnicity, disability, or other special consideration.

"New guidance also allows complaints on the grounds of cost.

"A school’s complaints policy should be clearly set out and easy to use.

"School governing bodies must have a complaints procedure to deal with issues about uniforms.

"Governors are expected to consider reasonable requests to accommodate social and cultural circumstances, or for unreasonable cost of the clothing, including unnecessarily branded items."

"Schools should look to deal with complaints locally at first, often providing for the complaint to be addressed initially to the member of staff responsible, then the head of the department, and then the head teacher.

"The next step would be to put the complaint in writing to the chair of governors.

"Once the internal complaints and appeal process has been exhausted the Department for Education can deal with complaints about schools."

What if my child has changed their appearance during school holidays - such as hairstyle?

"As well as having rules on school uniform, schools are entitled to have rules regarding appearance.

"Provided the rules are reasonable and don’t infringe equality legislation the school is entitled to enforce the rules in accordance with its disciplinary policy.

"Where pupils change their appearance in the school holidays, they need to be aware that on returning to school they will be expected to adhere to the school’s appearance policy.

"You may request an adjustment, however, there is no guarantee the school will allow one, especially if the policy was set out in advance."

What if my child recently had their ears pierced and the school makes them take it out?

"It is common for the school to make rules regarding the wearing of jewellery in school - especially in PE lessons - and the rules may require the jewellery to be removed.

"Such rules are likely to be considered reasonable.

"Many schools set out a specific policy for dealing with the situation where recently pierced earrings cannot be removed for PE lessons and make provision for children to be given another related task.

"The school’s policy will often draw attention to the requirement regarding earrings suggesting that any ear piercing considers the school policy."