Following a survey of school uniform suppliers and retailers*, The Schoolwear Association has found the average cost of compulsory secondary school uniform and sportswear items in England in 2023 is £96.24 per pupil. See the infographic here!
In real terms, this equates to a significant decrease in school uniform costs overall and demonstrates how the new statutory guidance has effectively reduced the number of school branded items that schools are specifying – keeping costs down for families.
Food prices have rocketed up by 19% amid soaring inflation rates – 8.7% at the time of writing. The costs of children’s clothes have also been strongly impacted by this inflationary pressure, up nearly 6% between January 2021 and January 2022.
However, school uniform has bucked this trend. Despite the broader inflationary pressures increasing pressures on families, school uniform costs have seen a real terms decrease. The average cost of school uniform has increased by just 0.5% since 2022 and remains well below the 2020 average of £101.19 per pupil.
Children wear school uniforms for approximately 195 days of the year, making it crucial for garments to be made of high-quality materials and designed to withstand daily wear and tear. This means school uniforms made by schoolwear retailers hold significant value for money and can be handed down to siblings, minimising environmental impact and maximising affordability.
* The survey was carried out with Schoolwear Association’s members between February and April 2023, representing 851 secondary schools working with families across the UK. This reflects 25% of all secondary schools in the UK and approximately 897,800 pupils.