It’s that time of year again, halfway through summer, when parents' minds drift towards buying new school uniform. Should you shop for it now, or will your children have a huge growth spurt over the summer? If you wait, will the size you need be sold out? And when did school uniforms become so expensive? So, how much is school uniform costing you?
The good news
In 2022, statutory guidance came into effect that required all state schools in England to ensure uniform costs were "reasonable” and to make cost a priority when setting uniform policies. This meant schools had to remove unnecessary branded items. The quality and longevity of garments also had to be considered, and schools had to encourage the use of second-hand uniforms.
Though Scotland and Northern Ireland are still reviewing what needs to be done for school uniforms, in Wales, government guidance states schools should limit logos to one item of clothing.
The bad news
However, the guidance doesn’t force schools to ban branding; it only reduces it, so you’re still likely to see logo items on uniform lists. Moreover, children are still expected to have an average of three branded items of uniform, and almost a third of secondary school pupils must own four to five branded items (plus they are bigger so clothes cost more).
It’s why The Children's Society has previously estimated that the average cost of school uniforms is £368.50. With inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, this figure is now higher. This estimate is also in direct contrast to what parents think is a reasonable cost: £105 for a secondary school uniform and £85 for a primary school uniform.
Back-to-school budget helpers
Luckily, there are ways to set a school uniform budget and stick to it. One good tip is to buy only a few items early in the school year. This way uniform won’t go unused if your child has a growth spurt. Secondly, ask parents in the higher years what their child really uses uniform-wise and remember you don’t need to buy uniform just at the start of the year, you can buy it all year long.
“When my child started Year 7, I bought everything on the uniform list, and this included school-branded football socks, track pants, shorts, PE socks, a fleece, a rain jacket and a PE bag. By the second term, she was taking her PE kit in a JD sports bag, refusing to wear the rain jacket and fleece (too nerdy), and had no chance of fitting into the PE shorts by the summer term. I wasted about £130.”
Anita, mum to Bella, 16
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Swap school uniform
With the statutory guidance stressing the promotion of second-hand uniform options, Swoperz, a preloved marketplace for clothing swaps, is one place to start. Swoperz helps children aged six to 16 to swap their clothes (with adult management), making the solution ideal for school uniforms.
Charlie Hurlock and Vicky Fuller, co-founders of Swoperz, say, “Swapping clothes on Swoperz means parents can both reduce their costs and their impact on the planet. Last year, the fashion industry generated 92 million tonnes of textile waste. Reusing school uniforms doesn’t just take the financial pressure off parents: it teaches the next generation to think more sustainably about what they wear.”
The Swoperz Community of Kindness pledge also enables free swaps of all school uniforms and sports kits. This method has already proved successful, with Swoperz partnering with Girlguiding Anglia to enable its 45,000 young members, aged four to 18, to swap their uniforms on the platform and learn more about pre-loved and circular fashion.
You can also try this locally with local Facebook parent groups, PTA groups, and mums you know in the community. Also, make full use of any preloved uniform sales and swaps at schools. These prove incredibly budget-friendly, especially for items that aren’t used as much, such as PE kits, football boots, ties, and jackets.
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Be smart about supermarket uniform buys
Part of the statutory guidance to prioritise cost when setting uniform policies means that schools have to allow more High Street options for school uniforms. This is good news for everyone as costs in supermarkets and across the high street are much lower than school outfitters. This means if you follow the school uniform deals, you can save a fair bit of money on everything from trousers, blazers, school shirts and PE kits.
The trick is to opt for bundle deals usually found at ASDA, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and H&M. They are the ones more likely to have uniform sales (usually in July). Top picks on the budget front come from Aldi and Lidl’s £5 “uniform bundles” (typically two polo shirts, one sweatshirt and trousers or skirt) and Sainsbury’s and Matalan, where items start from £3.
Remember to use loyalty cards and discount codes in-store and online, and you’ll likely save even more money on uniform purchases.
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Opt for outlet school shoes
School shoes, trainers, and football boots are among the biggest expenditures in the school uniform stakes. School shoes, in particular, are a big purchase and not particularly long-lasting when children have constant growth spurts. What can help is to shop the outlet stores.
Clarks outlet not only has school shoes at 20% off but also offers an additional 20% off during summer. Offcut is an outlet for Office Shoes and is great for teens who have outgrown children’s suppliers. High street supermarkets are also good for school shoes, but remember that all children’s feet should be measured in a shoe shop before you opt for these. Then, make sure the width and length are suitable for your child. Sports Direct is also great for low-priced school shoes, PE trainers, and football boots, with Kickers at nearly 50% off the price in other retailers.
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Opt for preloved for all school needs
Uniformerly is an award-winning online school uniform marketplace where parents & PTAs can buy, sell, give away and recycle outgrown school uniforms. If your school is on the site, you can list items now. Plus, you can sell your outgrown, pre-loved uniform online for free – no fees, no commission. So far, Uniformly has helped parents save over half a million pounds on school uniform!
Plus, remember you can also find preloved at a range of local parent Facebook groups, charity shops, and Olio - the sharing app for all school needs. Olio is particularly good if you’re looking for a bike for your child to ride to school, an instrument for them to do lessons with, books and revision guides or even every parent’s favourite cost - last year’s World Book Day costume.
