Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Cost of school uniform

80 replies

mumwithtwokids · 01/08/2012 11:14

Hi all,

Apologies if this has already been covered in great detail but my first DS is starting secondary school in September. We purchased the final bits of his uniform yesterday and can't believe how much everything has cost. We must have spent in the region of £500 - I'm still shocked Shock

OP posts:
bertielab · 04/08/2018 10:52

That's ridiculous. Mine are all private. But.....
Skirts and trousers are from Tesco or Sainsburys -maybe £40 for 5 pairs each. Tights -primark and sock £15 for all of them.
Jumpers second hand from school -younger ones they get sold at £2 each so I buy them 5 each. Eldest £5 from second hand shop same with ties £1. Shoes from next £20 each a pair -same for trainers. Ties from second hand shop -2 each £1 each.
I spend absolutely no more than £200 in total and it last pretty much the whole year.

bertielab · 04/08/2018 10:54

I was a bit of a geek though and started buying up shin pads, cricket bats, hockey sticks etc when our local charity shop has them. They sell them for a £1 each and I literally buy when I see them.

Cachailleacha · 04/08/2018 10:58

Year 7 cost £42 for blazer and tie, £75 for PE and games kit. Then trousers, shirts, jumper (unworn), socks (school and sport), shoes (school shoes, trainers, football boots), and mouthguard that I'm not going to add up. Summer polo shirts with logo I got second hand, £6 for 3.

For Year 8 I need to replace shoes (school shoes, trainers, football boots) and PE kit (lost, will get second hand). Tie is missing multiple threads that have been pulled out by my child but he doesn't care so I am not replacing it.

Stationery gets lost or destroyed so I have replaced most of that through the year and then a top up today in the back to school sales.

Madcats · 04/08/2018 14:03

Ouch! Luckily DD went through such a bad patch of losing stuff in yr 3 she is quite organised/diligent at school.

At DD's school there is a regular secondhand shop, which is great for that first year and topping up. We definitely plan uniform switches as DD works her way through the school (so some times, things are a bit tight/cropped). Aside from blouses and tights and shoes we tend to make do with one of everything, perhaps keeping the grown out of size/ grow into size in reserve.

Just popping on to let people know that Startrite online is selling off schools shoes for about £15 (certainly in DD's "giant' size - her feet seem to stay the same E/F/G width...just get longer..and longer). I was also chuffed to find pairs of new hockey boots for £15 via eBay. If I find something she likes, I just try to buy another size or 2 up.

Havingahorridtime · 04/08/2018 15:54

I’ve already spent £180 for my son who is year 10 and that is just footwear, trousers and shirts. I still need to go to the uinform shop to get a full replacement PE kit and that will cost £110 for everything that he needs.
I am glad that he doesn’t need a new blazer, jumpers or ties this term as that would add another £100. And I’m also glad he doesn’t play a sport because he would need special kit for that.
If he needed a full uniform and coat and bag I could see it easily adding up to £100 but fortunately we replaced some stuff after a growth spurt just before Easter so I don’t need to buy those items again right now.
This is a school where uniform I still known to be not as expensive as some other schools

Havingahorridtime · 04/08/2018 15:55

Where uniform is known to be not as expensive as other schools ^^

WhiteHartLane · 04/08/2018 16:12

DS1 starts grammar in Sept, we had his uniform fitting Tuesday and bought the mandatory items with the school logo on. Cost 260 for a blazer, tie, pullover, rugby top, tshirt, 2 pairs of shorts, tracksuit top and a pair of blue and yellow socks.
He still needs trousers, shirts, grey socks, white trainers (unbranded), bag and scientific calculator which will come from a supermarket.

DS2 will be going into Yr 1 and thankfully only needs polo shirts and trousers!

AuditAngel · 04/08/2018 17:20

FOr thos3 tha5 need scientific calculators, Tesco currently has 2 Casio ones and the Tesco own brand ones at half price

LockedOutOfMN · 04/08/2018 18:32

It's expensive, isn't it?

As a secondary school teacher who sees a lot of discarded "lost" expensive uniform and other items (calculators, sports' kit) every day, I urge you to get everything named, clearly and in more than one place - secondary age DCs can do this themselves.

Also tell your DCs they will replace items out of their pocket money if they go astray! So often I see students just distracted and head in the clouds, leaving their possessions all over the place. Theft does happen, but thieves tend to look for what's lying around rather than what's been packed away into a locker or similar. Most things that are lost in school have been left somewhere through carelessness rather than maliciously taken from their rightful place.

When they're doing P.E., it can be useful to have a spare clean carrier bag or cheap cloth type bag inside their kit bag to put their uniform into (rather than trying to hang it up in a crowded changing room), then put that inside their P.E. bag, with their school shoes, so that everything's together to change quickly afterwards - without anything getting dropped on a wet floor or confused with anyone else's.

Get your DC to check lost property and search the school meticulously if things do go missing - threatening to do it yourself often results in the item turning up!

Also if they think they've left something somewhere, go back IMMEDIATELY (or as soon as humanly possible) to collect it, don't assume it will still be there later / tomorrow.

Hersetta427 · 04/08/2018 20:37

Just bought the uniform and sports uniform for my daughters new school - a little over £350 without school shoes and trainers.

Not helped at all by the blouses being £16 each (which due to the colour you have to buy from the sole uniform provider)

Skiiltan · 05/08/2018 21:24

The shocker for me though was £20 for a years use of a locker!

It's a lot. But in most secondary schools there are no lockers: not for £20, not for £50, not for any price. At my kids' school someone was barred from running for head girl because she was going to campaign for pupils to have lockers.

I've got (yet) another grumble about school uniform. Just went through the younger Little Miss S's wardrobe and pulled out, washed & ironed four PE shirts of various sizes before remembering that they changed the PE kit last summer and the old shirts are no use to anyone. That makes eight perfectly serviceable items of clothing heading for the landfill because it has school logo on but isn't accepted school uniform. I'm convinced this school's number 1 priority is topping the chart of the most wasteful schools in Britain.

cesinok · 06/08/2018 02:23

This reply has been deleted

This post has been hidden until the MNHQ team can have a look at it.

cesinok · 06/08/2018 02:24

This reply has been deleted

This post has been hidden until the MNHQ team can have a look at it.

Madcats · 06/08/2018 10:44

Skiiltan our school is gradually replacing a lot of its sports kit. I haven't checked, but I think the plan is/was to invite parents to drop off old style kit and send the best stuff to a school the pupils help in Africa (I think they get a lot of old hockey sticks etc too).

Subject to a width spurt, I seem to be able to make a games shirt/PE shirt last 2-3 years.

LockedOutOfMN · 06/08/2018 13:52

Madcats A gradual changeover is much more sensible - there should be at least a year of leeway from old uniform to new.

MissWimpyDimple · 06/08/2018 21:11

Approx £300 in total for private school

The local state school is about the same though.

rainsbows · 24/08/2018 01:42

Year 3 private school - £600 Shock

WarDlawROAD2004 · 02/08/2019 10:15

My two dc are going into s4 and s6 (we’re in Scotland) and I have probably spent about £160 in dd uniform this year

£31.50- blazer
£60-black vans w white soles
£20- m&s blouses
£25- skirts (bought 2)
£10-tights
£15- jumper

I have probably spent about £225 on ds

£44 - blazer(more expensive because on blue braiding for s6)
£25- shirts
£60-black vans w white soles
£80- trousers (he instead son top man )
£15 -jumper

Their school doesn’t have a regulation pe kit but I have bought them both new pe kit from the Nike outlet near us so probably about another £50 each on that (2x leggings/shorts and 2x tops ) they both as a load of sports clothes and numerous pairs of trainers already as they are very sporty kids and both took pe at nat 5 and advance higher

crisscrosscranky · 02/08/2019 18:41

1 blazer (£47), 2 jumpers (£32), 6 blouses (£37.50), 3 skirts (£43.50), house badge (£3) Sports kit and bag (£80), school shoes (£50), trainers (£25), tights (£6)- £324 plus £70 on a new rucksack (this was a treat and the one she wanted so haven't included

We can only buy from school shop (Girls grammar); my friends who have got kids going to local non-selective have spent around £150 including shoes as have been able to buy from M&S etc.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 03/08/2019 00:48

state secondary starting year 7 - about £170, can't quite remember, plus shoes, trainers and football boots. pencil case/calculator/equipment etc probably another £25? bag about £20

nonicknameseemsavailable · 03/08/2019 00:48

and ours is also girls more expensive than boys due to logo items and stupid "unique" shirts whilst boys can get their stuff from Asda etc

reluctantbrit · 03/08/2019 15:40

DD was around £400 excluding stationary and bag.

Blazer is nearly £80 for a unique, custom made design. Skirt is £45 and jumper is £34. Plus shirts, open neck style so M&S or John Lewis, and shoes for £50.

The PE Kit, skort, shorts, top and tracksuit was another £100. Luckily no special kit as you only need it when you play for the school teams. One supplier with name fully embroideredon the top. Plain white trainers another £40.

Luckily my PIL gave the bag and my mum paid the blazer. The uniform is good quality, the blazer shows no tear and wear but is dry clean only so that’s another £60 per year as it is going every holiday.

Totally ridiculous. The trust has also a boy school under their wings and their blazer is £35 and trousers can be bought at any uniform store/High street shop with uniform section.

TheDrunkMoth · 03/08/2019 18:07

Glad I’m not the only one. Crazy prices aren’t they?!

Dd1 is starting Grammar in Sept.
We spent £220 in the official school uniform shop.
4 x Logo Shirts
2 x Tartan Kilt Skirts
2 x Logo Cardigans
Pe Kit consisting of a Polo Top, shorts, an additional skortHmm, Logo and named Pe Bag
Logo Lab Coat

I had already spent £80 when on induction day preordering the recommended items from the school. Including, calculators, dictionaries, folders, a PE sweater and an additional contribution for the school bus.

I still have to get, school shoes, PE trainers, football boots and a Coat. Pay the upfront cost of £400 for her bus pass too.

It’s all slowly adding up.
I’ve no idea if I need half the items I’ve bought but as it’s her first year and she’s super excited, I’ve allowed her to buy what she wants for her school bag (fancy pens and such). But I’m also feeling the pressure to make sure she’s not ‘left out’ and need to make sure she has the same as everyone else.

SJane48S · 04/08/2019 21:06

We're in a similar bracket - total cost will be around £500. Just one kilt is £45 & the sports kit is well over £100 (skort, logo'd top & hoodie & a polo neck undertop). On top of that are dance and drama kits. It's a state school. While we live in a wealthy area I do wonder how they are expecting lower income families to stretch to this. Add on top the £350 bus pass it's a big outlay!

Mog37 · 08/08/2019 18:46

DD is starting Yr 7 at a state grammar in September. Kitting her out will have come to a bit over £300 by the time I've finished, including shoes and a bag. (I also priced the uniform at our second choice (village comp by us) and their uniform is much the same price.)

The uniform shop were good about selling everything with growing room though so I don't expect to be paying this kind of money every year. I've also gathered that the PTA will occasionally organise second hand uniform sales which I plan on looking out for.

It's the PE kit that's the killer! All branded, indoor and outdoor kit, two pairs of trainers, gum shields, shin pads...

Swipe left for the next trending thread