Families are paying more than £15,500 per child over the course of their school years in “hidden” expenses, new research has found, as the cost of living continues to rise.
Essentials like school uniform, sports kits and school trips are costing parents thousands of pounds, the data from Nationwide shows.
But it is school clubs that are the biggest expense, averaging £700 a year when associated costs are factored in, the building society found. From reception to GCSE-level, this adds up to £9,100 per child on average.
By far the most popular kind of club is football, attended by 38 per cent of children. This is followed by swimming (17 per cent), creative clubs (13 per cent), and dance (12 per cent).
Uniform and sports kit adds up to £381 a year, and school trips average out at £116 a year.
A survey of parents found that they are replacing around 25 items of uniform and kit a year, adding up to 325 items across a child’s school career.
These costs quickly add up, at an average £43 for school shoes, £42 for PE trainers, and £37 for a school blazer.
Fred Powell, head of current accounts at Nationwide said: “Clubs and trips all play an important role in a child’s school experience, helping them learn new skills, build confidence and make new friends and also help cover childcare gaps.
“With these costs adding up over the years, it’s encouraging to see we are nation of savvy savers finding practical ways to save money, from shopping around and buying in sales to choosing bigger sized uniform items that last longer.”
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The building society has launched a new tool with comparison site Finder to help parents shop around for the lowest-cost deals on school essentials.
For struggling parents, many councils also currently offer grants to help towards the cost of school uniforms. Certain households can also receive support through pupil premium to fund cost of school trips and other education essentials, although this is at the discretion of the school.
Nationwide’s findings come as the cost of living continues to rise for millions across the UK.
Inflation rose to 2.9 per cent in July, having not hit the Bank of England’s two per cent target since September 2024.
Economists have also predicted future price rises to come, especially as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East threatens to hit energy prices from October.