How much do you pay for the essentials for starting year 7?

[wangxiaosara]

Finally, I have got all my ds1's gears ready for going in year 7. Here is my list, I have to say that children are do get more expensive when they are older!
A blazer, ties and a PE bundle includes a PE top, a rugby top, a pair of PE shorts and a pair of PE socks £140
Another set for spare from school's second stall £20
Shirts X 4 from ASDA £15
Trousers X 2 from high street uniform shop £22
A pair of football shoes from sport direct £30
A pair black shoes from Clark (got them in sale) £35
School bus £321 for the whole year
School lunch £240 for the first term
Mobile phone £10 per months on contract
Casio watch £16 ( I have got this as didn't want him to check the time on his phone all the time)

That's £849 in total. OMG

Nowhere near that ...
Basic uniform (blazer, tie, shirts, trousers) - £90
PE Kit - £50
Shoes - haven't got yet
Trainers - existing ones still fit, were about £30
School equipment pack (pens, pencils, calculator, dictionary etc) - £15
Locker deposit - £5
Books deposit - £10
PAYG phone - £5/month
School bag - £25
She'll have packed lunches and walks/cycles to school

Not massively more expensive than primary school tbh.

I didn't spend anywhere near that for DS last year but he rides his bike so no bus fares.

Blazer
Tie
PE kit £50. I refused to buy the rugby shirt as loads of friends said their DCs ended up not wearing them, has never been asked to wear one.

Shirts through out year about £20

Shoes from Sainsbury's which miraculously lasted all year £20

Trainers 2 pairs from sports direct £40

He takes lunch with him but has about £20 every half term to get snacks/occasional lunch.

£80 stationary, dictionary's, folders, calculator
£40 2 school jumpers
£5 tie
£30 on 4 shirts
£20 school skirt
£30 art&Science supplies
£70 on pe kit (hopefully will last!)
Another £100 on shoes, coat and bag I should think.
Luckily no bus fees as she got into the local school!
About £400 by the time we're done would think.

I think I can beat you all just on bus fare, £1,420 for the year!

Good idea about the watch op.

Place marking as my DS starts secondary this September and this thread has made me feel v disorganised!

Please NAME everything.

We have about 35 unnamed school jumpers in lost property.

Our school uniform embroiders names on for £3.50 per item. Best £3.50 spent ever!

Ball park £300 here for kit. No bus fares to pay and lunch will be £2.50 per day.

school uniform SHOP* that should say

Pen (lots), pencil, ruler, rubber, protractor, pair of compasses, scientific calculator.

Also coloured pencils and a glue stick will be handy.

£1420 for school bus? Wow
My ds's Jounery to school will takes about 40 minutes and it is a public transport (tram) and a school bus combined jounery. The part he uses the school bus only takes 10 minutes, I suppose this is why only costs £321 a year. Tram costs £6.50 a week (not bad).
Stationary and school bag etc, he will use the existing ones, therefore there is no extra costs on those.
I would be very happy if his uniforms would last more than 6 months as he is just growing so so so fast!

Ops, I mean second hand uniform stall.

YY stationery - lots of pens please, black or blue
ruler
Scientific calculator (but check with school as they may have a specific one they prefer an they may also sell them cheap!)
pencils, sharpener, rubber.

Yes he needs a couple of bags too.

To be fair OP most of that list is the bus and lunch and that's nearly £4 a day for lunch which he might not need? My DS spends about £2.50. Mind you that's a canteen system - I guess yours may be fixed price.

BTW it gets better - DS2 is going into year 10 and had a new blazer last term £35, new trousers at Easter so they are OK, lots of shirts still OK.

Just needs new shoes and a few pens. Not too bad really.

Insurance for phone. Hot gun for art projects

That seems a lot, but hopefully the uniform will last at least a couple of years? (DD1's lasted the full 5 years as she didn't grow much; but then DD2 lost whole PE kit in dribs and drabs over the course of y7).

School bus seems a lot but you have covered whole academic year. Similarly if you are paying upfront for lunches there is no more until Jan.

And as you, plus an iPad on to of it. It's a paperless school ffs

paperless school? how does that work?

We spent over £200 in the uniform shop, but blazer and jumpers are still going strong and I've only just bought new shirts and skirts at the end of year 8.
School shoes and trainers were extra.
Dd walks to school and I don't think of lunches and phone as being school expenses.

Just paid over £1,000 for an annual bus pass :-(.

Uniform in at around £200 all in ex shoes and trainers.

Expensive old business this.

Wow! There's some crazy amounts on here, I'm so glad that dd's school uniform is nowhere near that. I think it's actually pretty reasonable.
Last year blazer, tie, pe top and shorts, or socks, shirts x4 and skirts x2 cost around £80. Astroturf boots £15 from sports direct, bag £15 and shoes £20 from clarks outlet. Probably another £20 on pencil case, calculator and stationary. So she was ready to go for £150. Not too bad.

I reckon it's going to be around £250, by the time we're done purchasing this summer, take into account the £60 a month dinner money, cost of a locker, inevitable trips. I can't see year 7 costing less than £6-700.

In contrast, youngest has cost about £70 to return to primary school in September so far and that includes new underwear!

About £260 on uniform, trainers and backpack (no shoes as she recently had new ones into the summer term), £25 on stationery sundries, a one-off voluntary contribution (amount TBC).

BUT think there's a PGL camp coming up during October half-term. Conflicted about her going, as she just went on one at the end of primary school. Although I know it's ostensibly a bonding exercise so to be encouraged early on in secondary school career.

A relative bargain though compared with DC1's school (even the DofE Bronze seemed to cost considerably more than most other schools because of additional training weekends etc...) - we pay monthly voluntary contributions which add up to about £400 a year alone!

Luckily being in London the DC get their travel free (on buses and trams) which is a big plus!

Didn't dare total it all up I sized up on PE kits so these have lasted the whole of year 7 and 8 and tops will last through most of year 9 hopefully.
We invested in more expensive DM shoes as DS has a decent walk to and from school and M&S shirts and trousers (as I feel they wash and wear better).
A top tip is buy two ties (a friend told me this and this has been a godsend on hectic mornings).

Uniform for PE, new trousers (old school was grey new school is black), blazer, shirts etc £200
PE Shoes - I buy Astros for him to go out and play in anyway and he can take them in for lessons £0 (he owns them already)
Calculator £8
Stationery £5
New bag (he used same one from y4-y6) £25
School shoes £45? (Not bought yet)