Back to school: how parents should prepare for the big day

theguardian.com:

Only buy what you need

The Department for Education issued statutory guidance to schools last year aimed at making uniforms more affordable. It includes keeping school-branded items to a minimum, making secondhand uniforms easily available, and giving priority to value for money (including durability, not just low costs).

This followed campaigns on the affordability of uniforms: in 2020, the Children’s Society published the findings of a survey of 1,000 parents of state schoolchildren, which said they were paying an average of £337 a year for secondary school uniforms, and £315 for primary school ones.

In response, The Schoolwear Association published a study based on retailers’ prices that put the average cost of “compulsory” elements of school uniform at £101.19 for each pupil in 2020 – and since some items can be used in subsequent years, it said the real annual cost would be £36.24.

“This is where specialist retailers perform a function in their communities, over and above what a high street retailer or supermarket will be doing, because they are taking parents through what is a big step,” says Matthew Easter, chairman of the Schoolwear Association. “You get bombarded with paperwork, and a school uniform retailer will metaphorically hold your hand and take you through that process and tell you ‘this is what you need, this is what you don’t need, you can always come back for that later.’”

Buy early for special deals

It might be too late this year, but the best deals for school uniforms can be found at the start of the summer, according to the Association. Take advantage of school intake days. It says: “The uniform supplier is often on site, and might do a bundle deal for new parents coming in.”

Look out for discounts in June