When is the right time to go shopping for their school uniform? Right now! Stores generally have their uniform sales in the middle of summer. By the end of August, only stock remnants will be left, shoved to the back of the store to make way for all the winter and Christmas party clothes. So it is time to start planning, and go shopping. In short, it's time to go Back to School!
Clothes with logos
Some schools insist on certain items having a school logo. This is a bit controversial as it means you're often tied to buying these from just one shop, instead of being able to look around for cheaper options. This was the experience of PlayPennies mum Sabrina. "I've got twin boys, starting in Year 1 in September. The school uniform has a blazer with a school logo. These cost £36 each, which means for me spending £72 just for one item of uniform!"
Boys, and indeed girls, can be messy at this age. So just in case, Sabrina wanted a spare too. "Our PTA runs the second hand uniform shop. They had a stall at the summer fair, and I got two second hand blazers. To be honest, they are obviously worn but no stains or holes. And it means that I've got a spare for each boy. I certainly couldn't afford to spend £144 just on blazers."
Second-hand doesn't work with everything though. Mum of two, Joanna, was given a number of boys trousers from another mum with an older child. "They were in good condition but each barely lasted a month before they had ripped at the knee. Boys at primary school age just wear them out too quickly!"
Supermarkets
At the lower end of the market are the ranges of Back to School clothing sold by supermarkets. How happy you might be with buying from these stores varies from parent to parent. Some mums find the material in polo shirts too thin to withstand the 80 or so washes a shirt might receive. On the other hand, other mums find that regardless of the quality, their child will have dirtied the shirt beyond the repair of stain removers and whiteners well before it gets to the 80th wash!
Dad of three Gavin tends to buy trousers from Sainsburys "I used to work for a tailor, and I wasn't impressed with the quality of the seam work or the material used by our school wear shop."
Here's a round up of what the top four supermarkets are offering at the moment. Before you go shopping it is worth checking here on PlayPennies or on HUKD for any voucher or promotional codes that might get you an additional discount.
Tesco has a Back to School Bundle offer on at the moment. With this you get a school coat, three pack of shirts and either trousers, skirt or pinafore for £12.
You'll need to go to one of the bigger stores to get the best range of Sainsburys schoolwear. At the time of writing this, there weren't any special offers on. Prices start from £2 however. A two pack of woven teflon coated trousers for 3 to 5 years costs £4. A two pack of white embroidered girls shirts for 3 to 5 year olds costs £5.
Boy's trousers and girl's skirts start from £3 in the George range at ASDA. The store is offering free delivery on all orders over £10 if you enter the code 'School2' at checkout.
Woolies might be gone from the high street but the store has not been forgotten online. Their value Back to School uniform range starts at £3 for a pair of trousers for a five year old, and £3 for a girl's skirt for a five year old. Delivery is £3.95 for next day, or £4.95 to specificy a day/time/not during school run. Returns are collected free from your home - make sure they're unused, and tags are still intact.
Department Stores
Marks and Spencer is a favourite of PlayPennies mum, Lynley, "I always bought M&S trousers for my step son, as they were the only ones to keep the knees for any length of time!" The store has free delivery on school clothes, if you use the code School10 at checkout. Their 3 for 2 offer has just ended, but keep an eye out. Last year the store ran the promotion again before school started. Boys flat fronted trousers with adjustable waist cost £3.50 for a five year old. Girls pleated skirt with adjustable waist is £3.50 for a five year old.
BHS and Debenhams are admittedly often pricey. But I've always found the quality to be good, and worth keeping an eye out for their sales.
And Finally
Look for Back to School bargains online! Amazon are always worth checking out, and not just for school uniforms but for all school supplies. One mum recommended eBay, which frankly I'd not thought of for school uniforms before, but she'd got a great deal on a number of really good quality of girl's skirts and pinafores that hadn't been worn or only been worn once by a particularly fast growing lass!
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