Back to school: How to save money on uniforms – parents share tips

With school starting next week, it’s time for parents and kids to get organised – and the Herald is here to help. Today Georgina Campbell looks at uniforms

When a blazer can cost as much
as $360, it’s worth a trip to a second-hand shop or taking a look at local social media pages to save money on school uniforms.

Christchurch mum Leah de Friez, who has two children at high school, said uniforms were expensive and varied.

“Basically, there’s a uniform every five minutes. There’s one for sport, and there’s one for every different sport. There’s one for school – and there’s a summer uniform and a winter uniform. It’s just constant.”

De Friez said the cheapest and easiest way to buy a uniform was if a school ran a second-hand shop.

Parents could get between 20 per cent and 40 per cent off that way, she said.

If schools didn’t offer a second-hand shop, having a look on local social media pages was also a good idea, she said.

Parents shouldn’t be too proud to just ask for what they need on the likes of Facebook, she said.

“Once kids have grown out of uniforms, no parent wants them hanging around. They just want to give them to you, so just ask.”

De Friez said it was worth grabbing an extra second-hand jersey or cardigan if one was available.

“Trust me, they will lose them.”

As of this year, every school will have an Equity Index (EQI) number ranging from 344 to 569. The higher the number, the more barriers students face in their educational achievement.

The index replaces deciles, where schools were divided into 10 groups – decile 1 was the most disadvantaged, and decile 10 was the least.

Flaxmere College in Hawke’s Bay has one of the highest EQI numbers in the country. Its school uniform is available online and in-store at The Warehouse in Hastings.

A black skirt or pair of shorts each cost about $45; white, short-sleeved shirts cost anywhere between $28 and $40 each, and a jersey costs up to $87.

This compares with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart primary school in Epsom, Auckland, which has one of the lowest EQI numbers in the country.

The school has a summer and winter uniform, as well as a sports uniform from Year 3 on. All items are listed for sale on the NZ Uniforms website.

For girls, a summer dress costs $89, a winter pinafore costs $87 and the blue blouse to go underneath it costs $45. A maroon jumper is $46, and a PE uniform costs $75.

At a private school like Scots College in Wellington, a blazer alone is about $360.

Budget adviser Marcus Hull said uniforms were a big one-off cost that could put pressure on already tight budgets straight after Christmas.

He agreed with de Friez that people should consider looking for second-hand uniforms on Facebook groups or posting on websites like Neighbourly with the details of the type and size of uniform they needed.

Ideally, people would have started putting money aside or buying some items in advance, he said.

Vicki Murray has been running a buy-and-sell Facebook page for uniforms in the Wellington region since 2014.

She came up with the idea after she saw the uniform bill when her granddaughter started intermediate school. About $500 was needed for a device, on top of $1000 for a school uniform.

“The Facebook page meant that local people could source local second-hand uniforms, and that made a huge difference,” Murray said.

“We also made it so people could give away uniforms that they didn’t need, and that really helped a lot of people.”

The page has almost 5000 members and usually started getting busy from October through until February, Murray said.

“It will go crazy [this month] when the reality of ‘oh my gosh, I’ve got to get this sorted’ sets in.”

Ministry of Education operations and integration leader Sean Teddy said meeting back-to-school costs for some families could be a struggle.

“It’s important that there are no barriers to accessing education, including the cost of uniforms. We know many schools are conscious of the costs and actively seek ways to minimise these costs.”

School boards decided on uniform requirements, including whether a uniform is required, the type of school uniform, where uniforms are sold, and their price, Teddy said.

“We expect that when schools are considering uniform options, they consult with their parent community before making decisions. Schools should also make sure they do everything they can to make decisions on uniforms that minimise the costs.

“It is also our expectation that schools should not make significant profits from the sale of school uniforms.”

Parents with any concerns about a particular uniform should formally raise them with the school board, he said.

Schools can help by staggering payments and making second-hand options available. Some parents may be eligible for assistance from Work and Income for uniform costs.