Lost items drive up cost of sending kids to school

The start of a new school year can be costly for mums and dads.

From new uniforms and stationery to technology and PE kit, sending your kids to school can be an expensive business.

But many parents are also facing the extra cost of replacing items that vanish or get damaged.

Children losing new items within weeks

According to Rakuten research, 43% of parents say their child loses something within the first six weeks of term. 

And these aren’t always small, inexpensive items. 

The average parent spends £131 per child on back-to-school essentials, but many of these purchases have to be replaced almost immediately.

The biggest losses include:

• tech items - average cost £47.68
• school shoes - average cost £43.44
• school blazers - average cost £38.50

That’s despite many parents taking precautions.

For example, nearly half (48%) label school essentials, and the same proportion remind their child nearly every day to take care of their belongings.

Damaged items hitting parents’ wallets

It’s not just lost items putting pressure on parents’ finances, as many are also paying to replace damaged goods.

In fact, nearly two-thirds (63%) have had to replace ruined or broken school items.

On top of that, mums and dads are also having to pay extra because their children are growing.

More than half (53%) have replaced school shoes within the year because their child outgrew them.

And 37% have even replaced school shoes more than once in a single school year.

Parents frustrated with costs

Naturally, nearly two in five parents (39%) admit to feeling frustrated at how quickly items need replacing.

Bola Sol, a savings expert at Rakuten, said: “Back to school season can feel like deja vu for parents, buying new shoes, jumpers or water bottles only for them to vanish in the first few weeks of the new term. 

“It adds up fast.”

How much does it cost to send a child to school?

According to the Child Poverty Action Group and the Centre for Research in Social Policy, parents are paying at least £1,000 a year to send their child to a state primary school.

This is 16% higher than it was in 2022, and well above inflation (8%) and earnings growth (12%) during this period.

And among people with slightly older children, parents are paying almost £2,300 a year to send their child to secondary school - that’s 30% higher than it was three years ago.

Notably, these figures are based on what parents feel is the minimum that a child needs to go and take part in school life.

So they don’t include extra costs such as school trips, learning a musical instrument or using wraparound childcare.

Ask for help with uniform costs

If you’re struggling with school uniform costs, contact your local council to find out what help they might be able to offer.  

We've also put together some handy tips on how to save money on school uniforms this summer.

We’re here to help you take control of your finances, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch for practical, impartial advice.

We can check you’re getting all the benefits you’re entitled to and help you create a realistic budget.

And if you owe money and are struggling with repayments, we’re here to give you debt advice.