While the school year has only just ended, the next is already looming on the horizon, bringing with it a wave of back-to-school costs.

Whether that’s buying new school uniform, stationery or tech, costs can quickly add up, especially as parents face a huge demand to ensure their children have everything they need.

According to the latest research from the Child Poverty Action Group and Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP), the minimum cost of education, which includes food, uniform, learning materials, meals and transport, is over £1,000 a year for a UK primary school child and a minimum of £2,300 a year for a secondary school pupil.

While the new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 does strive to help with costs relating to school meals and a cap on compulsory branded uniform requirements from schools, the limit is three items or four if a tie is needed.

Parents are still having to find on average more than £300 on a back-to-school shop, according to research from Nationwide.

Ahead of the upcoming school term, we spoke to Clare Seal, financial coach and author, who has shared seven simple tips on help you to save some much-needed cash on this year’s school supplies…

1. Shop secondhand

Whether it’s through social media groups, secondhand sales or marketplaces, buying secondhand can offer some of the biggest savings.

“Make sure you are part of your local Facebook groups, school groups or WhatsApp communities as people are often giving away uniforms or are selling them really cheaply on these platforms. A lot of schools do secondhand uniform sales as well,” says Seal, noting that they can be especially good for more costly branded uniforms.

She adds that clothing marketplaces like Vinted can be good for finding secondhand items that are new or have been barely worn, especially shoes.

“School shoes in particular are so expensive and children’s feet grow really quickly, so you’ll often find some that have barely been worn and are much cheaper than buying them new,” says the financial coach.

However, if you do want to buy them new, Seal suggests buying shoes from a shop that has built its reputation on selling shoes rather buying cheap.

“It sounds really silly, but get your child’s feet measured. Don’t try and guess,” advises Seal. “If you buy them secondhand and they don’t fit, you can’t return them.”

2. Wait for supermarket deals

Most of the big UK supermarket chains sell non-branded uniforms in relevant colours, along with shoes, socks and accessories.

“The first half of the summer holidays is a really good time to be looking at getting your uniform because it’s when most of the shops and supermarkets have deals on,” says Seal.

Deals range from percentages to multi-buy offers and are often listed on money saving blogs and sites, such as Money Saving Central or Money Saving Expert, she adds.

3. Use cashback

“A big opportunity that a lot of people miss out on across the board for all school supplies is using cashback. TopCashback tends to have the most retailers and the best rates,” says Seal.

“Download the app, sign up, and instead of going straight to the website to make your online purchase, type the retailer into the app and shop via the link as normal.”

It will track the cashback in your account and then once the returns period has passed that becomes payable, she explains.

“For example, if you’re ordering £100 worth of stuff and the shop has got a 5% cashback offer, you’ll get the cash back,” says Seal.

Furthermore, she explains that you can also use the cashback offers in stores by purchasing a gift card from the cashback provider and spending it in store, with the cashback returning to your account.

Seal adds that another handy tip is to keep an eye out for promotions that offer higher cashback rates for a set time.

4. Buy for longevity

“For things like backpacks and lunch boxes, sites like Vinted are your best friend,” says Seal. “People often sell duplicates or products from brands like Smiggle which tend to be quite expensive to buy brand new.”

The financial coach says that it’s much better to buy something from a trusted brand secondhand than it is to buy something new that’s cheap and will fall apart.

“Your child might end up having the same school bag for years. It’s not something that they’re going to grow out of, or that you’ll have to replace every year. So, with items like that, choose things for longevity,” advises Seal.

5. Add name tags

“When things go missing, you obviously then have to pay to replace them, so make sure that uniform, as well as lunchboxes, water bottles, pencil cases and have a name label on them,” recommends Seal.

You don’t need to spend money on fancy labels either.

“Most uniforms these days have a space on the label that you can just write on using a biro or a permanent marker,” she adds.

6. Simplify stationery

“Check how much your child cares about a new pencil case or bag before you start buying them. As long as it is smart and is fit for purpose, if the child doesn’t care, then you shouldn’t care,” says Seal.

She adds that every school should have a handbook with a list of supplies that the children need each term, including stationery, scientific calculators and rulers.

“Make sure that you read that list and just buy the stuff that’s on it,” recommends Seal.

This will prevent you from buy the wrong calculator, for example, and then having to replace it, she explains.

7. Invest in refurbished tech

Depending on your personal circumstances and if you want your children to have a mobile phone, Seal recommends looking at what you already have first.

“The first port of call is to check if you have any old tech that would suit, like an old iPhone that’s still in really good condition. You can then just get a SIM-only contract,” advises Seal.

In terms of computers, it varies from school to school what is required.

“Some schools will recommend that children should have their own laptop. They will have access to computers at school, but having a laptop can makes it easier for homework,” says Seal.

“For items like laptops or tablets, using a vetted refurbished site like Back Market is better for the environment and much cheaper. This way you will also know it’s been through loads of checks.”