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School for the most part shouldn’t be costing lots of a parents’ pocket, but there are some key things that parents need to be considering when your child starts school. From uniforms and the bags children need to get to school, to stationery, shoes, books, and more, there are a lot of costs to factor in as soon as your child enters school on a regular basis.
This guide from a sixth form in Buckinghamshire shows what costs to consider when your child is in school.
Books and stationery
At first your child won’t need everything as a lot of the supplies will be provided by the school. There’s nothing more fulfilling than having your own set of stationery and supplies that will get them ready for their studies. Let them pick out what pencil case that interests them and see what they think they might need as well.
When entering secondary school your child will need a few more things to start with, on top of the pencil case and writing tools. They may need their own notebooks, maths tools and calculators, sketching pencils and any other important bits of stationery.
Uniform and P.E. kit
Probably the first thing you’ll be buying is the school uniform. You can buy uniforms from specific shops in your local area, at the school itself, or at a secondhand store if you’re considering cheaper alternatives for the time being. Children grow at an alarming rate, so it’s worth prioritising when to buy your child’s uniform and to compensate for future growth.
Schools also may ask children to purchase their gym kit as well. Some schools may not have a specific uniform for P.E. lessons, but instead they’ll ask children to wear their own sports gear.
Other things to consider
Your school probably has a number of rules that children should be following. This will include buying smart shoes for your child and keeping jewellery to a minimum, and even wearing the right colour socks or tights.
As children grow they’ll be needing bigger pairs of shoes and clothes, which is something to also factor in throughout school life. So you will be considering whether to invest in good quality shoes, or shoes that are cheaper but will be grown out of in a few months’ time.
Your child may take an interest in particular extracurricular activities that you’ll need to support them in. They may need specific art supplies, or football boots for their school group.