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Some schools in the UK are funded by the government and are free for students to attend. Independent schools, on the other hand, charge a termly fee to parents and carers for each child. Regardless of the type of school you choose to send your child to, there will be other additional costs that you may not have factored into your budgeting. Some of these costs have been listed below, with some tips on how to keep them as low as possible.
School uniform is probably one of the costliest things to expect when your child first starts school. Each garment soon adds up and parents usually spend over £100 on the clothing, shoes, PE kit and stationery. Uniform for private schools is usually even more expensive! As your kids grow or lose items of their uniform, you will have to replace various items throughout their academic journey, so be sure to make financial arrangements for this.
It’s a good idea to sew labels into each garment with your child’s name on so that if they do happen to lose something, there’s more chance that they’ll get it back. What’s more, some school uniform stores have payment systems in place that allow parents to spread the cost over several months rather than paying one massive lump sum; have a look into your options and figure out what works best for you!
When it comes to stationery, school bags and other accessories, there are usually lots of back to school deals before term starts in September. Keep your eyes peeled for these so that you can save some pennies, or perhaps even head to a charity shop or two to see if you can find anything suitable.
In state schools, children in Year 2 and below are given a free school meal. This may be extended for certain families, so check your local authority’s website to see if you are eligible. If not, you may want to consider sending your child to school with a packed lunch, rather than paying for school dinners, as they usually work out cheaper and you can make sure your child is getting all of their favourite healthy snacks.
