News

Cost of school uniforms begins to fall

While the cost of school uniform has fallen for parents and many more schools are offering second-hand options, families are still being asked to pay for as many as five branded items.
Image: Adobe Stock

Research commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) and undertaken between November 2023 and January 2024 paints an improving picture for families.

It finds that average total expenditure on school uniform was £249.58. This compares favourably to previous DfE research which found that average (inflation-adjusted) uniform costs in 2015 were £279.51.

Broken down by phase, primary uniforms in 2023 were less expensive for parents (£217.65 for boys and £246.80 for girls) while secondary uniforms cost £266.14 and £289.04 respectively.

Notably, the study, which involved more than 1,200 parents of children aged 4 to 16, finds that average expenditure on uniform reduces as the range of outlets from which parents can buy items increases.

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