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School uniform MoneySaving tips

Georgia-May Collings
Georgia-May Collings and Laura Foulger | Edited by Laura Berry
Updated 29 August 2023

With the summer holidays coming to a close, you've just days left to get your child's school uniform sorted. We've handy tips on how to kit out the kids on the cheap.

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Eight ways to save on school uniform

Kids grow at a rapid rate, so they’re going to need a number of different uniforms during their years at school. Factor in PE kits as well, and costs can seriously add up – with parents forking out an average of £337 a year on school uniform for each secondary school child and £315 a year for each primary school child. Here are our tips and tricks for saving money on uniform.

  1. Pick up uniform sets from £5 at supermarkets

    If your school isn't too strict on buying official uniform from specialist suppliers, then supermarkets are nearly always the cheapest place to buy new kit.

    Prices for a full set (polo shirts, sweatshirt, and skirt or trousers) cost from as little as £5 at certain times of year at Aldi and Lidl – July until September is one of the cheapest times to buy.

    Other major supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's offer sets year-round from under £10, and some high street retailers such as M&S offer uniform sets for under £22. 

    And currently, Asda and John Lewis have uniform sales where you can pick up a full set from the discounted price of £15.30 and £16.50 respectively. 

    Prices vary depending on size, except at Aldi and Lidl where the price is the same for all sizes. It's worth noting how many items you get in a pack. Top deals are below...

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  2. Look out for 20%-25% off in sales

    Some retailers run regular promotions, which include discounts on school uniform. More often than not, a retailer runs its offers at the same time every year, so if you know when a deal is likely coming, it can pay to wait. Big sales include:

    Several times a year, you can get 25% off Sainsbury’s Tu clothing in larger stores and online, which includes school uniform. In the past, we've seen the offer in February, April, May, August, September and October, and it usually lasts about a week.

    For the past 10 years, M&S* has offered 20% off school uniform online and in stores at the end of June/beginning of July. It applies to the majority of schoolwear but excludes shoes, accessories and coats.

    Ask yourself whether you need to buy everything at once? Create an inventory and pick up each item as and when you find a good deal – it will also help spread the cost.

  3. Get a government grant of up to £200 government if you need it

    Parents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible for a grant to help with uniform costs (and some in England, but it's a postcode lottery). You can find out if this applies to you by entering your postcode at Gov.uk, which will direct you to your local borough. As well as school uniform, you may be able to get help with sports kit, childcare, travel and course materials. See our Check if you can get a grant of up to £200 MSE news story for full details. 

  4. Bag second-hand uniform for free or under £5

    Another way to save on school uniform is to get it second-hand. After all, a few sloppily eaten lunches and overzealous art sessions, and that brand new school uniform isn't going to look immaculate for long.

    eBay and charity shops

    If you have older children, then hand-me-downs are easy, but if not, you can check out eBay or visit local charity shops (find your nearest) close to your child’s school. We heard that one primary school in South London donates all unclaimed lost property to local charity shops at the end of each term – we’re not sure how common a tactic this is, but we like it.

    Facebook

    The online social platform is buzzing with offers of used school items, both in individual groups such as Second Hand, Nearly New School Uniform For Sale or Free, and in its Marketplace. It could be worth checking Facebook to see if your school has a dedicated group or page of its own.

    Facebook Marketplace allows you to filter by distance, price and latest posting. Previously we found some logo sweatshirts, an official tie, generic trousers and more for free, as well as hundreds of other items for about £2-£5. Beware though, many posts are listed as 'free' but turn out to be a job lot of different items, all with a price attached.

    Freecycle

    Sign up for a free Freecycle account and you can search for uniform being given away for free, or you can add a ‘wanted’ post. In the past we've seen a school-specific blazer, skirt and shirts offered in Bolton, a boy’s uniform bundle in Hackney and a college-specific bundle in Cardiff.

    Parent Teacher Association

    It's common for a school’s Parent Teacher Association to hold second-hand clothing sales, so get in touch to find out if your child’s has one. If it doesn’t, suggest it to the PTA and, if you can, volunteer to help set one up. You could also organise a ‘swap shop’ event with other parents. These methods are particularly useful if your school has an official uniform with a logo, which is difficult to find affordably when bought new.

    Uniformerly 

    Uniformerly is an online marketplace where parents, schools and PTAs can buy, sell or even give away pre-loved uniform items. You'll just need to search for your child's school (there's currently over 4,900 UK schools signed up), and then Uniformerly will display items nearby, with some going for as little as 50p. There's no selling fees or commission taken either, and you can also set alerts to notify you when a specific item is added to the platform. 

  5. Check outlet stores for up to 50% off

    Outlet store prices tend to be more appealing than their high street counterparts, including:

    • Clarks Outlet* – often has lots of shoes at 50% off online and in store (find your nearest). Delivery’s £4.95 if shopping online.

    • M&S Outlet - it has dozens of outlet stores which have 30% or more off the main M&S store price.

    MSE Molly says...

    Outlet items are often incredibly similar styles to the full-price versions, but a fraction of the cost. They’re dotted all around the country, but if you don’t live close to one, weigh up first whether it will still be MoneySaving for you once you factor in driving or train costs. Some centres also do a further discount for you if you are from outside the area – so head online first to check out if there’s a loyalty scheme or visit customer relations when you arrive.

  6. Plan for growth spurts

    Buy clothing a few sizes larger than your child currently needs. Plenty of parents buy uniform with growth spurts in mind, so that you don't end up having to buy uniform as often.

    Ex-MSE Carol says...

    If you are, say, buying a blazer, buy a size or two up so that it lasts a few years. At that age, they’re growing so much, they could grow out of a blazer in a term.

    How many items of clothing will your littl’un need? Our forumites share their thoughts.

  7. How to make uniforms last longer

    A few tips to keep uniforms wearable (and findable) for longer...
     
    • Once you’ve got the uniform, decrease the chances of having to replace it too soon by keeping it in good nick.
    • Name tags will prevent jumpers, coats and blazers from getting lost. Sewn-in name tags last longer than iron-on ones. Some parents find writing their child's name in biro on the care tags does the trick just fine, while others suggest that if you write the surname only, it makes hand-me-downs easier (unless you've got a particularly common surname, that is).
    • And finally, a simple idea – make sure your wee’uns change out of their clothes when they get home from school.

  8. What if my child's school insists on official emblazoned clothing?

    It’s common for a school to have a blazer with a badge on it and a specifically patterned tie, which would have to be bought from special shops or from the school itself. Some schools, however, require more of these bespoke clothing items than others do.

    Although it's up to individual schools to decide on and enforce uniform policy, the Department of Education suggests that schools should consider cost and availability to ensure best value for money – though it will almost always work out more expensive than being able to choose where you buy.

    Unfortunately, if your school is strict on having an official uniform from a specialist supplier, there is little you can do, but Gov.uk suggests speaking to the school's PTA if it makes changes to its uniform policy that requires compulsory expensive items, and to Citizens Advice if it still enforces it.

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