Tag: school uniform

Edinburgh parents more anxious than ever about the cost of school uniforms

The Leith Collective launches free school uniform exchange to help worried parents this summer  

School’s out for summer but far from signalling the start of a care-free holiday, many Edinburgh parents are already worrying about how they will afford new school uniforms when the holiday is over and the new academic year begins. 

That’s according to one local Community Interest Company, The Leith Collective, who are reporting a higher level of anxiety than ever amongst Edinburgh parents, many of whom have said they will be cutting back on summer holiday treats this year to meet the rising cost of essentials such as school uniforms.

And so, The Leith Collective is acting now to help alleviate some of that anxiety with the launch of their free school uniform exchange.

Taking place at The Leith Collective stores in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal and Fort Kinnaird as well as the Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre, this initiative will see locals donate good quality uniforms, schoolbags, pencil cases and school essentials to those in need. Items will be available for anyone to collect completely free of charge, no questions asked. 

Speaking ahead of the launch, The Leith Collective founder, Sara Thomson said; “Demand for our free school uniform exchange last year was high. Sadly, due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, there is an increasing number of families from all walks of life who are genuinely anxious about how they will kit out their kids again this year.

“So, we felt it was essential that we launch our free school uniform exchange as soon as possible – so that parents have at least one less thing to worry about throughout the school holidays.”

This summer’s free school uniform exchange follows The Leith Collective’s winter coat exchange which received an overwhelming response, with over 7,000 coats donated and collected by locals.  

People can donate and collect items at The Leith Collective in Ocean Terminal, Fort Kinnaird, and the St Enoch Centre during opening hours. No tights or socks can be accepted but all other good quality school items are welcome.

  • The Leith Collective at Ocean Terminal
    Ocean Drive, Edinburgh
    EH6 6JJ
    Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 11am – 6pm, and Sunday 11am – 5pm.
  • The Leith Collective at Fort Kinnaird
  • Newcraighall, Edinburgh
  • EH15 3RD
  • Opening hours: 10am – 8pm seven days a week
  • The Leith Collective at St Enoch Centre,
  • Glasgow G1 4BW
  • Opening hours: 10am – 5pm, seven days a week

Back to School: How to kit out your kids for less

Parents having to fork out for branded school uniforms are being offered budget-friendly ways to keep the costs down.

The frugal experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have seen hundreds of mums and dads on their sister site ParentBible struggling to pay the huge costs associated with branded school uniforms.

Their army of parents have been offering helpful ways to save on the costs of the expensive outgoing.

Popular schemes such as uniform swaps and pre-loved giveaways are providing parents with extra support to help prepare for the academic year.

Ellie Macsymons from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “We wanted to help parents who may be worrying about the dreaded costs of new school uniforms.

Parents are doing uniform swaps to save on the back-to-school costs/Image: Unsplash

“It’s becoming more difficult for families to balance household expenses during this cost-of-living crisis, which is why many are looking for money saving tips to spend less on new school uniforms.

“We’ve found some parents are joining online community groups to find second-hand uniforms as well as going directly to the school to receive free school uniforms.”

One parent, CJ Walt, said: “Top tip- join the secondary schools parents facebook groups – they’re always selling very cheap or free during the start of the six weeks as loads of kids are leaving or have grown out of their stuff. Then advertise your grown out stuff – works great and everyone gets a good deal!”

Another parent, Nicki Blair, added: “We put money away monthly from January for uniform, Xmas and birthdays.”

Here are NetVoucherCodes.co.uk’s top ways to save on branded school uniform costs:

Hand me downs

Don’t be afraid to use hand me downs. If a blazer for one child fits the younger one when they’ve outgrown it, then make good use of it. Don’t just share hand me downs with siblings – if you and your friends all have children at the same school, then make use of that network.

Uniform swap

It’s becoming a popular trend among parents to help save some extra cash. There may be an online group for your local school where you can easily swap uniforms such as a ‘year 4’ top for some ‘year 5’ trousers. It’s always best to do it just before the academic year starts.

Look out for ‘pre-loved giveaways’

Check around selling groups for members who are selling bundles of school uniforms as part of free giveaways. These are often first come first serve, so make sure to turn post notifications on!

Shop around at different retailers

Explore various shops which are selling packs of uniform items for your unbranded clothing.This will further help when buying multiple packs to last throughout the year.

Spread the costs

Have a look at where you can put away the spare £10 or £20 every week and allocate it directly for school uniforms. If you save these extra pennies, you’ll be able to have a higher budget for the start of the academic year.

Keep your eyes peeled

It’s always worth keeping an eye out for any discounts or voucher codes. These can make a big difference to the school uniform spend.

Go directly to the school

Many parents aren’t aware of this tip but heading straight to the schools is a great way to get free school uniforms. Lots of kits are donated at the end of the academic year and these are usually available for collection in the first month of re-opening.

For more ways to save on back-to-school costs, head over to NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.

School uniform: have your say

New national guidance to be developed

Pupils, parents and carers are being asked to give their views on school uniform to help shape new national guidance.

A key aim of the guidance will be to reduce costs for families, while ensuring pupils can go to school feeling comfortable and ready to learn.

A consultation to inform the national guidance is launched today, with a wide range of views being sought, including from schools, families, education authorities and suppliers.

There will also be engagement with young people to seek their views. 

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School uniform can promote a sense of identity, belonging and connectedness to school. However, the cost can be a significant burden for families, although there is no legal requirement to wear uniform.

“We have increased the school clothing grant to help families who need it most. Now we intend to go further by bringing forward national guidance aimed at reducing uniform costs. This could mean increasing the use of generic items of uniform.

“I would encourage anyone with an interest to have their say on how this guidance should look. It is essential that the views of children and young people are heard as part of this consultation.”

Local authorities and individual schools decide on school uniform policy at local level. The national guidance, which will be underpinned by a range of principles, will inform those policies.

There is no legal requirement to wear school uniform in Scotland. The new guidance is not intended to change this or to mandate the wearing of school uniform at national level.

The consultation will run until 14 October 2022

TODAY: Granton Goes Greener School Swap Shop

On the 2nd August Swap Shop will be open between 10am – 6pm and we will be concentrating on getting all the children ready for school.

Bring any school shoes, bags and uniforms, which you do not need, but someone else could still use.

Tea/ coffee, biscuits and soup provided. It is a FREE event, no booking required.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO SWAP ANYTHING, just come and collect any free school uniforms you need. We are very grateful to all our volunteers for their hard work – and Balerno High School and Granton Primary for their generous donations!

Granton Parish Church, 55 Boswall Parkway