Parents pull out £122 to kit out kids for school

Parents will be shelling out an average of £122 to kit out their kids to go back to school next term.

The supermarket back to school ranges will be booming as sales nationwide are predicted to be worth a whopping £709m.

But financially worried parents are planning on having to spend even more cash on school essentials than last year.

This will be impacting on the number of extra-curricular activities children take part in as 27 per cent of parents admit they will be cutting back on how much their children do.

Where school uniform policy permits, 54 per cent of parents will be using budget supermarket uniform and stationery basics, with others scouring charity shops and eBay for second hand items.

Other areas where parents will be cutting costs mean their children will be setting off to school on foot as 18 per cent will be ditching the car on school runs due to cost.

The findings come from a study Cost of a Child, by insurance and investment group LV=.

Spokesperson for LV= , Mark Jones said: “It is surprising that many parents are responding to increased money pressure this year by spending more on back to school basics; clearly kids come first despite the downturn. And it’s even more surprising that many parents are spending more despite looking at ways to be frugal and economise, by purchasing from cheaper suppliers such as their local supermarket or eBay.” 

Costs for children starting infant school fell around the £96 mark, whilst for secondary school aged children it rose to £139.

The average amount spent on school uniform came to £50, followed by sports kit at £40 and school books at £20.

With the colder weather approaching, parents are also pulling out an average of £20 on a winter coat.

LV=’s study finds that parents pay out more than £200,000 bringing up a child from birth to the age of 21.

Funding children’s time at state school is only second in expenditure to childcare.