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Getting children prepped and ready for a new school year is never easy on the wallet – and they always seem to shoot up at the most inconvenient time, don’t they? You’ve had a lovely summer making memories together, only to realise with a week to go that nothing fits anymore. Cue the mad dash for new uniform.
School clothes, PE kits, backpacks and stationery all add up, especially if you have more than one child in school. A bit of planning can make a big difference, though. Shop wisely, use discounts cleverly, and you’ll find you can save a bit of money – without your kids looking any less smart for it.
Here's our practical school uniform checklist to help you work out what you actually need to buy, how to make uniform last longer and top tips to spend less.
It’s tempting to stock up on extra jumpers, shirts and trousers ‘just in case’. But ultimately buying too much is a waste of money and space when they’ll probably grow again before they’ve had a chance to wear everything. Still, it’s useful to have a few multiples.
If you're putting together your school uniform checklist, something like this is a good starting point:
Matalan or Debenhams are a great shout for school essentials, and Blue Light Card members can save money while they’re at it.
Before you buy anything, it’s best to double-check your school's uniform requirements. It sounds obvious, but when you’re browsing the shops and school uniform catches your eye, it’s all too easy to get swept up in buying bits you don’t really need. A basic PE kit, for example, can cost anywhere from £15 to £40 depending on how many specialist items your school requires, so it's worth checking exactly what's compulsory before you go shopping.
Some schools insist on branded jumpers or ties; others specify everything from socks to school bags. Most sit somewhere in the middle, often allowing supermarket versions of polo shirts, trousers, skirts and PE kits, as long as they're the right colour and style. Check out Blue Light Card Shopping Cards to save on supermarket clothing or get money off through TU Clothing for all your essentials.
Top tip: double-check to see if your school runs a second-hand uniform sale. Parent groups often sell barely worn uniforms for a fraction of the original price.
Don’t feel pressured to buy everything at premium quality; we know it can all add up. Remember, though, some things are more expensive for a reason.
A decent pair of children's school shoes can easily cost £40 to £70, while a good-quality waterproof coat might be £30 to £60. These are the items that get the most battered and scuffed through everyday use, so buying quality can save money if it means they last the whole school year.
For basics like plain polo shirts, socks and PE shorts, supermarket own-brand ranges are often great value. This is a good place to economise, because kids are likely to outgrow these items before they start to fray. Polo shirts can often be bought in multipacks for around £6 to £10, while socks can be around £5 a pack – handy when socks seem to vanish after every PE lesson.
Before you start shopping for back-to-school essentials, remember to check Blue Light Card. Members can access savings at M&S, John Lewis and George at ASDA.
You might struggle to find what you need if you leave all your back-to-school uniform shopping until the last week of the holiday. The beginning of September soon creeps up on you, but shopping a few weeks earlier gives you more choice, and more time to exchange anything that doesn't fit. That way, you can also spread the cost over several weeks, instead of having to pay for everything all at once. It’ll hopefully make the start of term feel less panicked and stressful – your future self will thank you!
Also think about the school calendar. If your child is moving into their final year at primary or secondary school, or you know they'll need a different uniform the following September, it probably doesn’t make sense to buy lots of expensive spare items that they'll only wear for a few months.
With children often growing quite dramatically over the course of a year, uniform items sometimes have to be updated when they’ve barely been worn. With a branded blazer easily setting you back £40 to £60, second-hand options offer really good value.
Before buying new, look into things like:
New branded jumpers that cost £20 to £30 can often be found for £5 to £10 at school uniform sales, sometimes looking almost new. A lot of parents will happily sell their children’s old uniform as it takes the items off their hands!
Some of these tips will sound obvious, but if you can manage to make clothing last, uniform worries won’t come up again until next year. Why not get older children involved in caring for their own uniforms, too?
Parents have seen it all: grass, paint, Ribena, that unidentifiable orange liquid… but whatever it is, the sooner you deal with stains, the easier they are to remove. A quick rinse or spray with a powerful stain remover before washing can prevent permanent marks.
Lower-temperature washes are gentler on fabrics. They help colours stay brighter, so you won’t end up with a faded jumper before the end of winter. Modern detergents work very well at 30°C but always check the care label first.
Turning jumpers, polo shirts and sweatshirts inside out before washing is a good way to protect embroidery from washing machine wear.
It’s tempting to use the tumble dryer when you have a lot of clothes to dry, especially in winter. But the high heat can shrink and distort clothing and wear out elastic.
Loose button? Don’t wait until it pops off five minutes before the school run – a quick stitch now saves a mad scramble later. It’s easy to sew a button back on and might save you from buying a new shirt later.
School shoes are often one of the biggest back-to-school expenses, so it’s worth looking after them.
A few simple habits can help:
If you’re a Blue Light Card member, you can save money at Kickers and Clarks for all your school shoe needs. Well worth using your discount on those bigger purchases to make your budget go further.
Replacing a name label is much cheaper than replacing a jumper. And not only does labelling avoid lost property issues at school, but it also helps organise things at home if you have multiple children wearing similar uniforms.
Sew or iron labels onto all the high-value stuff: jumpers, coats, PE bags. Deploy a label-maker for things like stationery and water bottles to give them a chance of finding their way home, too. There’s nothing worse than your child coming home in their first week without a cardigan, lunch bag or pencil case.
Behind every embarrassing school photo of a child in a comically oversized blazer was a parent saying: “They’ll grow into it”. Slightly bigger clothes can be good value but falling-down trousers and too-long sleeves are a false economy – and not much fun for the children wearing them, either! Buy for the child you've got now but allow just enough room for the inevitable mid-year growth spurt.
If you're buying school uniform, shoes or stationery, don’t forget to look at back-to-school essentials on Blue Light Card before you start your shopping.
It's usually best to buy school uniform a few weeks before the new term starts. Shopping early gives you more choice of sizes, makes it easier to exchange anything that doesn't fit and allows you to spread the cost instead of buying everything at once.
Buying school uniform early, comparing prices, checking your school's second-hand sales and only buying the items your child genuinely needs can all help keep costs down. Supermarket own-brand basics are often excellent value, while it's usually worth spending a little more on school shoes and waterproof coats. Don't forget to check Blue Light Card before you shop to see whether you could save with participating retailers.
Every family is different, but many parents find that five shirts, two jumpers and two pairs of trousers or skirts are enough to get through the school week without needing to do laundry every day.
Yes. Many schools, PTAs, charities and local parent groups sell second-hand school uniforms that are still in very good condition, particularly branded jumpers and blazers.
In many schools, yes. While some items such as blazers, jumpers or ties may need to be branded, many schools allow supermarket alternatives for polo shirts, trousers, skirts and PE kit, provided they're the correct colour and style. Check your school's uniform policy before you buy. If you do go down the supermarket route, have a look at Blue Light Card Shopping Cards to save.
