Rising cost of school uniform is scary, says mum from Luton

A mother-of-three said she has found it “scary” trying to keep up with the cost of sending her children to school.

Lauren Barford-Dowling, 27, from Luton, described the price of uniforms, shoes, meals and trips as “daunting”.

Level Trust, a Luton-based charity that provides free school supplies to families, said demand for its services had risen by up to 20% compared with last year.

“You want them to look their best, but it’s hard to keep up,” Ms Barford-Dowling added.

Ms Barford-Dowling has three children aged 10, six and five – and a fourth on the way.

She said branded jumpers and tops have risen in price, adding: “I worry about having enough money for all the essentials like shoes, trainers, trousers, dresses, tops.

“Three pairs of trainers cost over £100 – and they’ll be ruined in a couple of months. It’s scary.”

School meals also add to the pressure, she said, and her eldest child’s lunches cost £44 a month.

“When all three move up to Key Stage 2, I’ll be paying nearly £100 a month just so they can eat,” she added.

Ms Barford-Dowling said the Level Trust provided her children with free school shoes and trainers for PE.

Kerri Porthouse, the deputy chief executive of the charity, explained demand for the organisation’s services have risen.

“We’ve already seen an increase of between 15% and 20% compared with last year.

“That’s 200 more families in July and August alone. It’s a huge increase for a charity to cope with.

“Parents with children moving into reception or secondary often don’t realise how much uniform is needed until school begins. Then they come to us in a panic,” she said.

Research by the Child Poverty Action Group found it cost £1,000 a year to send a child to primary school and £2,300 for secondary.

Kate Anstey, the group’s head of education policy, said children from low-income families were dropping subjects because of the price of trips and equipment.

“Too many children are growing up in poverty, and it’s having a stark impact on their school day,” she said.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “No child should face barriers to their education because of their family’s finances.

“We are capping the number of branded uniform items schools can require, and from 2026 all children in households on Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals.”