When it comes to buying your child’s school uniform it certainly costs an arm and a leg. By the time you purchase a shirt and trousers, the amount soon mounts and that is without the cost of shoes. 

However, new data has found the cheapest retailer online, with starting prices of boy’s and girl’s uniform essentials totalling just £44. 

This is according to TonerGiant who looked into the prices of children’s school uniforms at six leading retailers ahead of the new academic year in September. 

The six retailers included Matalan, M&S, Asda, Sainsbury’s Next and John Lewis. 

Some of the items included in the school uniform costings were girls’ cardigans, boys’ trousers and polo shirts.

Boy’s school uniform 

Boys trousers (x2) 

Boys polo shirts (x2) 

Boys sweatshirts (x2)

Boys shorts (x2) 

Girl’s school uniform 

Girls trousers (x2)

Girls polo shirts (x2)

Girls cardigan (x2) 

Girls pleated skirts (x2)

Costings were based on the starting prices of the selected uniform items, which would fit a child starting primary school, aged three years. 

The items selected were in packs of two, with the price of items sold individually doubled to allow for comparison. The team found Sainsbury’s as the cheapest retailer for school uniform essentials, beating Asda by a mere £2. 

A boy’s uniform total came to £20 while a girl’s school uniform came to slightly more at £24, with a total of £44.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale were Next with the priciest uniforms. A boy’s school uniform came to a total of £46 and a girl’s was priced at £52. The total came to £98 more than double compared to Sainsbury’s. 

1. Sainsbury’s 

Boy’s uniform total – From £20

Girl’s uniform total – From £24

Total price – From £44

2. Asda

Boy’s uniform total – From £20

Girl’s uniform total – From £26

Total price – From £46

3. Matalan

Boy’s uniform total – From £29

Girl’s uniform total – From £32

Total price – From £61

4. M&S

Boy’s uniform total – From £37

Girl’s uniform total – From £35

Total price – From £72

5. John Lewis

Boy’s uniform total – From £45

Girl’s uniform total – From £43

Total price – From £88

6. Next

Boy’s uniform total – From £46

Girl’s uniform total – From £52

Total price – From £98

Stuart Deavall at TonerGiant commented: “With schools required to allow more non-branded school uniform items, parents can make their money go further by exploring high street options online, with our study finding that Sainsbury’s was the cheapest option for selected boy’s and girls’s uniform essentials.

“With the start of a new school year, it pays to be prepared with a checklist of items your child will need.”