PARENTS face forking out hundreds of pounds to buy school uniforms – but there is a way to get cheap or even free clothes.
School uniform exchanges offered by local councils, charities, schools and even Facebook groups are a great way for parents to cut costs.
Parents usually have to swap items in order to get clothes for free, while other charge a small amount such as £1 per item.
Recent research by the Children’s Society estimated that parents spend £422 a year on uniforms for a child at secondary school, and £287 for primary school children.
This cost can put a strain on a household’s budget, but not many people are aware that there are cheaper – and even free – alternatives to get clothing, bags, and schools.
The exchanges are also an environmentally friendly option as it cuts down landfill waste and saves items of clothing including cotton and synthetics from being thrown away.
Search online to find out if you have a local school uniform exchange.
Level Trust runs an online uniform exchange with over 60 schools across the UK.
Parents can swap clothes for alternative items or get a gift card to use in future.
Items are free and you can order online and collect from your school.
A similar initiative has been launched in North London, where parents are encouraged to launch uniform exchanges in their kids’ schools.
The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) says 1.4 million wearable school uniforms are thrown away every year.
Swapping uniforms rather than buying new ones can save families up to £348.55 a year, according to NLWA.
This initiative is not completely free, but by gathering no longer-needed uniforms and running small shops, parents can allow others to buy second-hand clothing for the new school year at a reduced price.
If you live in North London and would like to get involved, you can contact NLWA at wastepreventionteam@nlwa.gov.uk.
The waste prevention team will then provide you with leaflets and posters to promote your exchange shop, as well as labels for containers to collect the school uniforms collections.
NLWA’s chair, councillor Clyde Loakes, told The Sun: “A brand-new school uniform for one child can cost up to £348.55, so there are a lot of savings to be made by buying second-hand or swapping uniforms with other families.
Around 1.4 million school uniforms are thrown away each year despite being wearable (for example, if they’ve been outgrown or a child has moved schools), so swapping uniforms or buying them second-hand also saves a huge amount of waste.
“NLWA wholeheartedly supports moves from the Government to limit the amount of branding required on school unforms, as this will make it easier for parents to source uniform items second-hand, saving waste and money,” Mr Loakes said.
The East London Waste Authority runs a School Uniform Bank across the boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham, and Redbridge.
ELWA told The Sun that most of the schools give away the items for free, but one of the institutions that sells item for a small fee said parents saved over £13,300 in the year to April 2024 thanks to this programme.
The authority said that the average total cost for a full second-hand uniform would be nearly £150.
The cost estimate is split like this:
| Item (x1 of each) | Average cost per item |
| Bag | £11.67 |
| Blazer | £16.50 |
| Cardigan | £6.44 |
| Coat | £12.50 |
| Jogging bottoms | £6.42 |
| Jumper | £6.44 |
| Pinafore | £10.46 |
| Polo top/shirt | £5.71 |
| Shoes/Plimsolls | £15.60 |
| Shorts | £7.50 |
| Shorts (PE) | £3 |
| Skirt | £6.79 |
| Summer dress | £10.46 |
| Sweatshirt (PE) | £6.44 |
| Tie | £5 |
| Tights | £2.35 |
| Trousers | £9.67 |
| T-shirt | £2.22 |
| Socks | £4.09 |
| Total | £149.24 |
| Total average | £7.85 |
To save money ahead of the new school year, it might also be worth checking any local Facebook group where parents might exchange their children’s uniforms, or give them away for free.
Some of these groups on Facebook include Waltham Forest School Uniform Exchange, Greenwich Borough Uniform & Accessories Exchange, Milton Keynes School Uniform Exchange, and others.
Another charity providing free school uniforms to children is Helping Households Under Great Stress (HHUGS), which helps families facing financial issues and debt.
The charity accepts donations and then uses the money to provide free school uniforms to families in need.
To find your local school uniform exchange, you can visit the Uniform Direct website, which lists the locations where this service is available.
However, the list is not comprehensive so another way to find if there’s any uniform exchange near you would be to check with your children’s school and other parents, as word of mouth could also make you save some money as kids return to class in September.
The items vary based on the individual scheme.
Items included trousers, skirts, shirts, polo tops, cardigans, jumpers and PE kit, as well as shoes, pumps, school bags and football boots.
Most items are generic – but you may be able to find school specific clothing.
Debbie Binnersley, project co-ordinatoor at Zero Waste Leeds/Leeds School Uniform Exchange, said: “School uniform exchanges are a fantastic way to save money on school uniform for the upcoming school year.
“Whether you use them to fully kit out the children, or just to pick up a few spares the savings soon add up and can help stretch your budget over the summer holidays.
“Last summer we gave out over 16,000 items to 2,937 families and, based on figures from our recent events, we expect to exceed these figures this year as more families feel the pinch.”
HERE's how much the major supermarkets charge for school uniform:
Total: £4.50 with either trousers or skirt
Total: From £11.50 with trousers, or from £10 with skirt
It’s worth pointing out that Morrisons charges the same price regardless of size.
Total: From £9.75 with trousers, or from £11.25 with skirt
Total: From £13.50 with trousers, or from £10 with skirt
You can’t buy school uniform online so it only lists a limited selected meaning cheaper prices and more items may be available in store.
Total: From £13.50 with trousers, unclear with skirt
Households who receive certain benefits such as Universal Credit could be eligible for grants of up to £200 to put toward the cost of school uniforms.
This is known as the school uniform grant and is offered by all local authorities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
In Wales, families with children in reception and up to year 11 can claim the free cash.
Children whose families are on lower incomes and qualify for certain benefits can apply for a grant of £125 per child.
However, if your child is entering senior school and going into year 7, you’ll be able to get a boosted £200 payment for this academic year.
In Northern Ireland, all councils are offering grants of £93.60.
In Scotland, the amount offered varies by council but generally, it is at least £120.
However, not all councils in England offer the grant, so the best thing to do is check with your local council about what help is available and when to apply.
For example, Islington Council in London offers grants worth £150 to pupils transferring from primary to secondary school and on free school meals.
Meanwhile, Nottingham City Council is offering different amounts depending on the child’s school year.
Reception-aged pupils can get £15 to cover the cost of clothes while Year 9’s can get £30.
You can find your local council’s website by visiting www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
But many parents don’t know that a number of councils in the UK are offering extra help on top of school uniform grants.
Families can also receive what’s known as “local welfare assistance” in the form of a one-off cash payment to cover the cost of school clothes.
In some cases, the support can be worth hundreds of pounds, but it can depend on where you are.
Sara Williams, who writes the Debt Camel blog, explained: “Different councils have different schemes available.
“Sometimes it is called household support, sometimes other names such as local welfare assistance.”
The Sun approached 20 local authorities in England to find out if they offer local welfare assistance to cover the cost of school uniforms.
Four said they did, including Southwark Council, Islington Council, and Ealing Council, all in London.
Worcester City Council has also handed out grants worth up to £580 previously.
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