State Schools

What are the hidden costs of sending my child to a state school?

You're likely to incur some additional costs when you send your child to a state school. These include things like uniforms, transport, food and textbooks. On average, these additional costs tend to come to the region of £1,300 per year.

Is there any help available to pay for the extra costs of state school education?

There is help available to you to pay for extras when you're sending a child to a state school. In fact around a quarter of families who send their child to a state school need financial assistance of some type to pay for these extras, and help is available if you contact your local education authority.

How much will it cost me in total (over 16 years) to send my child to state school?

The total cost of sending your child to a state school over 16 years is around £14,000.

What can I expect to spend on uniform costs?

The costs of uniforms for state school are about £170 per year per child in primary school. In secondary state schools the cost of uniform is about £260 per year for girls and £310 per year for boys. The reason uniform is more expensive for boys in secondary school is the additional cost of PE kits.

What can I expect to spend on school trips?

The cost of school trips are around £20 per child each year for day trips and about £180 per child per year for residential trips. Children who qualify for a free school meal don't have to pay full board and lodging on those residential trips.