Cheapest ways to get a school uniform – from FREE kit to 50% off at outlet shops

Scottish Sun

2 days ago

Check if you can get a £200 grant towards your children's uniforms
BACK TO SCHOOL Cheapest ways to get a school uniform – from FREE kit to 50% off at outlet shops
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THE school holidays are well underway and it's time to tick shopping for uniform off the to-do list.
There's only a few weeks left until kids return to their classrooms in shiny new shoes, crisp white tops and oversized jumpers.
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There are plenty of ways to get help with your children's school uniform costs
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Parents fork out an average of £422 a year on uniform for secondary school children and £287 for a primary school child, so it's important to make savings wherever you can.
Read our handy guide to help kit your child out as cheap as possible this summer.
SUPERMARKET BUNDLES
If your school isn't strict on buying official uniform from specialist suppliers, then supermarkets are nearly always the best place to buy new kit.
Prices for a bundle including polo shirts, a coloured sweatshirt and skirt or trousers can cost as little as £5.
But bear in mind that in some stores these are special buys and once they're gone, they're gone.
Prices can vary but here's our pick of the best buys below.
Aldi and Lidl's offerings are not included as they've already sold out.
M&S is offering 20% off school uniform in stores only until stocks last.
Whilst there is no end date to the sale, sizes do sell out, so go quick if there is something you are after.
2 x polo shirts - £3.60
Sweatshirt - £4.80
Skirt - £5.60
Trousers - £6.40
Pinafore - £6.40
Sainsbury's is selling school uniform items from £3. Click and collect is free on orders over £10.
2 x polo shirts - £3-£6
Skirt - £5-£7
2 x trousers - £7-£11
2 x sweatshirts - £7-£11
Matalan is selling items from £4 online and you can click and collect for just 99, or its free on orders over £19.99.
2 x polo shirts - £4-£7
2 x sweatshirts - £7-£11
2 x skirts - £7-£11
2 x trousers - £11-£17
George at Asda sells items all year round for £3, online and in stores. Click and collect is free if buying online.
2 x polo shirts - £3-£6
2 x sweatshirts - £5-£11
2 x skirts - £8-£14
2 x trousers - £8-£14
Pinafore - £6
Tesco has kept prices the same as 2024 - and you can get 25% off Clubcard prices.
3 x polo shirt - £4.50
2 x short sleeve shirts - £3.50
2 x sweatshirts - £4
2 x trousers - £7
2 x pinafores - £9
2 x skirts - £7
BUY SECONDHAND
If you miss out on uniform sales, check out secondhand clothing sites such as Vinted and eBay.
We had a quick search and found lots of new or barely worn clothes available to buy, including two unworn pinafores from Sainsbury's for £8.50 and a pack of three short-sleeved shirts from John Lewis, unworn and in the packaging, for just £5.
Uniformly is an online marketplace specifically for school uniforms, where you can search for items to buy from other parents or the PTA at your child's school might hold second-hand clothing sales, so get in touch to find out if your child's has one.
Some charity shops have been selling old uniform for as little as £1.
FREE CLOTHING WEBSITES
Sign up for a Freecycle account and you can search for uniform being given away for free or you can add in a "wanted" post.
This is a great way of finding school specific blazers and jumpers in your local area.
USE LOYALTY POINTS
Tesco Clubcard is one of the best loyalty schemes which can help towards the cost of F&F school uniform, either online or in-store.
Collect Clubcard points by shopping at Tesco then use the Clubcard app to convert the points into vouchers.
Present the vouchers at checkout in store to get the money off, or you can apply them at checkout if shopping online.
You earn one point for each £1 spent and each point is then worth 1p.
Once you've earned 150 points, equivalent to spending £150, you receive a voucher worth £1.50.
APPLY FOR A GRANT
Local councils will supply grants of up to £200 to families who don't have the money for uniform.
The grant will also cover other essentials such as PE kit and travel costs.
Find the contact details for your local council at https://www.gov.uk/school-uniform
FIND A SWAP SHOP
Pop-up swap shops are a brilliant way for families to manage back-to-school spending.
Not only can you pick up items cheaper, but it saves waste.
A 2020 report by The Children's Society found 1.4 uniforms are thrown away in the UK every year.
You can find details of some already established swap shops at lesswaste.org.uk.
The website also offers guidance on how to set up your own.
Level Trust runs an online uniform exchange with over 60 schools across the UK.
TRY OUTLET STORES
Prices at outlet stores are often more appealing than their high street counterparts.
Clarks Outlet offers lots of shoes with 50% off online. Delivery's £4.95 if shopping online.
M&S Outlet also has dozens of outlet stores which have 30% or more off the main M&S store price.
BUY TO LAST
Where possible, go for more natural fabrics, especially if using a tumble dryer.
They can be dried at a slightly higher temperature and are more resistant to holes so it could mean buying less in the long run.
Check the label and look after your child's uniform properly to help avoid extra costs.
Wash whites separately, using bio detergent and sticking to low tumble-drying settings will help prevent damage and shrinking.