Rising price of college uniform is frightening, says mum from Luton | EUROtoday

A mother-of-three stated she has discovered it “scary” attempting to maintain up with the price of sending her youngsters to high school.

Lauren Barford-Dowling, 27, from Luton, described the value of uniforms, sneakers, meals and journeys as “daunting”.

Level Trust, a Luton-based charity that gives free college provides to households, stated demand for its providers had risen by as much as 20% in contrast with final 12 months.

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

Ms Barford-Dowling has three youngsters aged 10, six and 5 – and a fourth on the best way.

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

“Three pairs of trainers price over £100 – they usually’ll be ruined in a few 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 transfer as much as Key Stage 2, I’ll be paying practically £100 a month simply to allow them to 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 a rise of between 15% and 20% in contrast with final 12 months.

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

“Parents with youngsters transferring into reception or secondary typically do not realise how a lot uniform is required till college begins. Then they arrive to us in a panic,” she stated.

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 youngsters are rising up in poverty, and it is having a stark impression on their college day,” she said.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “No little one ought to face limitations to their schooling due to their household’s funds.

“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.”