Uniform planning for secondary school

Secondary school places are announced this month, so now’s a good time to start planning what uniform your child will need when they change schools in September.

Although it might seem early, secondary pupils often need more items – especially when it comes to PE kit – and you might need to budget to spread the costs.

Here’s a guide for how much uniform to buy to get set for starting senior school. Always check your school’s uniform policy for specific requirements too! This can usually be found on the school’s website or starter pack.

Before starting to shop for school uniform, we recommend making a list based on the uniform guidelines produced by your child’s school. Make sure you take a note of what items are compulsory and which are optional.

It’s best to split the uniform needs into categories, then you can sort what you can buy now and what you can buy nearer the time.

How many of each item should I buy?

This depends on how often you’ll be washing the garment, how dirty it might get, and your budget. Little kids are much more likely to get their clothes dirty regularly, while teenagers mainly need to be reminded to put their uniform in the wash.

Daily uniform

This is the most important category as your school might have specific suppliers for items like school blazers.

• 1 x school blazer – items like blazers or jackets are more expensive and don’t see a lot of wear and tear, so buying one is fine
• 5 x shirts/blouses – shirts and blouses bear the brunt of a hard day at school so have plenty in stock
• 2 x ties – it’s always best to have a spare!
• 2 x school jumpers/sweaters –these items get grubby and are the ones that go missing the most, so it’s good to have a spare.
• 3 x trousers or skirts – a good rule of thumb is one to wash, one to wear and one in the drawer; that way, you won’t spend your evenings slaving over a washing machine and your child will go to school in clean clothes each day.  

Outdoor wear

• 1 x warm winter coat – investing in a good quality coat will see your child keep warm throughout the winter. You can buy a waterproof one or add a rain mac too for milder but wet days
• Woolly hat, scarf and gloves – it’s important to keep kids’ extremities warm in winter and these are great stocking fillers at Christmas!
• 1 x pair of shoes – a sturdy pair of school shoes should see your children through the school year

PE kit

PE lessons usually on take place once or twice a week so you should be fine with just one of each of the following: PE top, shorts/skort, joggers/leggings, and two pairs of PE socks. Add on a pair of trainers (check with your school about what’s acceptable) and an item of swimwear. Keep everything in a designated PE bag.

Accessories

Kids will also need a sturdy school bag/rucksack, plus a water bottle, pencil case and stationery including pens and a scientific calculator. When they’re changing to secondary school, it might be nice to treat them to a new rucksack.

It’s often the little things that add up when it comes to getting prepared for the new school year. If you’ve invested in quality school uniforms though, you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing it’s designed to last.

If you are worried about costs, remember we offer Klarna as a payment-spreading tool to help manage the cost of buying new school uniform. Klarna gives you the option to buy now and pay later, so not only can you spread the cost over three instalments, but your kids can also try on the uniform to make sure it fits before you pay for it.