According to an article published by heart, the average parent will spend approximately £190 sending their child back to school. This cost is mostly comprised of school uniform and stationary expenses but the truth is, out loud, one hundred and ninety pounds is a shocking figure isn’t it. It doesn’t have to be, though. Here are some pearls of wisdom.
Avoid Official
Secondary schools are notoriously difficult with uniform policies but with a certain amount of streetwise ingenuity you can avoid paying the prices they whack on their labels at the official school shop. Official school crests can be difficult to find copies of unless you happen to be a master craftsman with a needle and thread but jumpers, trousers and shirts are more often than not available elsewhere. Don’t be tempted to save your time by buying everything in one place; it costs less to shop around.
Keep it in the family
This is perfect for big families as there is likely a surplus of hand-me-downs that can be worn if they are a similar size to their older brother or sister. This is the perfect remedy to those eye-watering prices for school blazers if your kids attended the same school. If there aren’t any in the family perhaps some friends have clothes that their kids no longer need.
Check the School Rules
Often there are loopholes no one takes advantage of. These could be old and therefore ignored. There are some schools which permit polo shirts as well as buttoned ones. Or in some cases there are P.E kits which are not specified and some plain white t shirt will do just as well as crested t shirts.
Check the Syllabus
Often there are requirements such as lab coats and aprons for food tech or woodwork that aren’t provided as equipment by the school. Often, though these are unnecessary and the child’s syllabus will dictate what he/she is going to be wearing. Even then it may not seem worth it to pay for an item of clothing that isn’t going to be used all that much. This is a classic trap for those starting at secondary school when many items of clothing are provided and on most occasions it does not warrant the child actually wearing them.
