First year of secondary school costs parents £6,800
12/08/2015
Parents end up paying on average £6,800 throughout their children’s first year of secondary school, according to research from retailer John Lewis.
Parents will end up spending large amounts of money on children’s uniforms, books, stationery and technology for their first year of secondary school.
This figure does not include private school fees, but includes the price of everything from lunch to end-of-year presents for teachers. The cost is said to be higher than anytime time in a child’s school life.
John Lewis looked at the varying costs parents are faced with when a child is in reception all the way through to year 13. Parents of children in year seven end up paying more for technology such as mobile phones and laptops, school uniform and food and drinks. Year one and reception are the cheapest years for parents, costing an average of £2,300 and £2,700 a year respectively.
The research also found that boys end up costing more than girls costing an average of £2,300 and £2,700 respectively. London has the most expensive average price for a year (£8,500) and Wales the lowest (£2,800).
Johnathan Marsh, buying director, at John Lewis, said:
“On average, children are bought their first laptop and mobile when they’re 11, which goes some way to explaining why year 7 is the most expensive.
“By breaking down the costs by year, we hope we’ll help parents budget in advance and arm them with the knowledge to make informed buying decisions.”
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