New survey highlights ‘Back to School’ cost concerns

This year, the survey did not just look at the immediate costs incurred ahead of back to school in September (such as uniforms and stationery) but also looked at the ongoing costs that keep adding up over the school year. These costs increase significantly for families with older children:

• Primary School costs: Parents expect to spend an average of £1,363 per child over the school year, which includes £570 in upfront expenses and £793 in ongoing running costs.
• Secondary School costs: The total expected spend rises substantially to £2,029 per child, consisting of £1,106 in upfront costs and £923 in annual running costs.

Why is it so expensive?

Most of the parents report that overall school expenses have risen compared to last year with school uniforms including branded or crested sports gear and school lunches causing the most concern.

Uniform costs are a major issue for parents, with 61% of parents feeling pressured to purchase branded clothing and footwear. To make matters worse, many parents must buy uniforms from specific named suppliers with 30% of secondary school parents and 21% of primary school parents forced to buy full-price uniforms from single, named suppliers rather than generic, lower-cost supermarket alternatives. While many schools encourage the use of uniform banks for reused items only 17% of respondents managed to find second-hand uniform items.

Technological demands also compound expenses, at secondary level parents spend an average of £159 on digital devices like a laptop or tablet, and 90% of schools request a “voluntary” contribution, averaging £110 per family.

Debt and financial sacrifices

To meet these obligations, 37% of all parents are taking on debt, borrowing an average of £301. Secondary school parents are under the most financial pressure, 42% of whom fall into debt, compared to 26% of primary school parents.

In addition, parents are also choosing to make sacrifices, such as cutting back on family holidays (39%), summer camps (26%), and even basic household bills (17%) and food (16%). In addition, 35% of parents say they’ve had to say “no” to their children for certain school items primarily extracurricular activities (43%) and school trips (33%), because they just can’t afford them.

The report emphasized that the main difficulty isn’t one single item, but the relentless ongoing costs month to month, from uniforms to transport and lunches, giving household finances little room to reset after summer. They urge schools to be more flexible with unbranded uniform and sports items and encourage parents to seek advice before turning to expensive credit cards or short-term debt.

What is the NI Government doing?

Early in 2026 the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Act was introduced setting uniform policy requirements for schools to ensure affordability and accessibility and to not place undue financial pressure on families. Supporting schools in developing and implementing uniform policies that are fair, inclusive and sensitive to the financial circumstances of families.

It remains to be seen how this is worked out in practice and if next year costs have reduced and families are under less financial strain at this time of year.

For further information and support

Some families are eligible for financial support towards school costs through the Uniform Grant and Free School Meals. Contact the Family Benefits Advice Service to check eligibility and for a confidential, personalised calculation to work out the financial support your family may be entitled to, fbas@employersforchildcare.org.