As millions of children prepare to return to school, new research suggests British parents are looking beyond simply finding the cheapest possible Back to School options, whether that’s the clothes their children wear or the educational support they receive.
New YouGov research published in August found that 70% of parents consider price when deciding where to shop for Back to School items, but almost exactly the same proportion, 68%, consider quality. Meanwhile, a major Which? investigation involving 3,062 parents and 4,616 school uniform buying experiences found a strong relationship between durability and perceived value for money, with parents praising uniform capable of surviving an entire school year, and in some cases, being handed down between children.
What happens once children are actually inside the classroom is changing too.
A 2026 survey of 2,095 UK students aged 14–18 found 56% had experienced private tutoring, with 83% of tutored students saying it helped improve their grades and 79% saying it improved their confidence going into exams. Separate Sutton Trust polling suggests 29% of secondary pupils have now received private tutoring at some point, compared with just 18% twenty years ago.
With new school uniform rules coming into force this September and household budgets remaining under pressure, SchoolUniformShop.co.uk and its education partner Spark Tutoring say the findings point towards a change in the way families should think about the cost of education. Their message to parents is simple: Don’t just ask what it costs. Ask what value it delivers.
Commenting is Luke Conod of SchoolUniformShop.co.uk.
“There’s a fascinating message in the latest research. Parents obviously care enormously about price but almost exactly the same number care about quality. That’s important, because cheap and good value aren’t necessarily the same thing. A pair of school trousers that costs a little more but survives a year of classrooms, playgrounds, washing machines and everything else children throw at it, can ultimately be considerably cheaper than something that has to be replaced two or three times. And if it’s still good enough to pass down afterwards, that’s better for the family purse and better for the environment.”
New uniform rules put value firmly in the spotlight.
This discussion is particularly timely, because new school uniform rules took effect in England on 1 September 2026. Schools will be limited to requiring three compulsory branded items, with secondary and middle schools permitted a fourth where one of those items is a tie. The legislation is intended to reduce the financial burden of school uniform on families and increase the opportunity to purchase generic alternatives. SchoolUniformShop.co.uk welcomes greater choice for parents, but says the conversation around affordability needs to include durability, quality and sustainability as well as the initial purchase price.
“Anything that gives parents more choice and helps families manage the cost of sending children to school has to be welcomed,” continues Conod. “But affordability shouldn’t mean a race to the bottom. The cheapest school uniform isn’t necessarily the cheapest school uniform to own. If you buy something twice because the first one hasn’t lasted, it wasn’t particularly cheap in the first place. The most sustainable school uniform is often simply the uniform you don’t have to keep replacing.”
That broader idea of value, Conod highlights, should extend beyond what families buy and into how prepared children feel when they return to school.
“Every August, millions of us work through essentially the same list: trousers, shirts, jumpers, PE kit, shoes, bag, stationery – tick, tick, tick,” he says. “But perhaps there should be one more question on that list: Is my child confident about going back? Do they feel comfortable with maths? Are they confident reading and writing? Did they finish last term struggling with something?
“Nobody needs businesses telling parents they have to spend more money in September. Quite the opposite. Our message is to spend wisely. Buy what your child actually needs. Reuse perfectly good uniform. Hand it down. Use second-hand uniform. Take advantage of multi-buy offers where they genuinely save money. Whether we’re talking about the clothes children wear or the education they receive, value is about what something delivers – not simply the number on the price tag.”
A Back to School partnership focused on value.
SchoolUniformShop.co.uk and Spark Tutoring have partnered to offer families access to savings on both schoolwear and educational support. Families using Spark Tutoring can receive 10% off at SchoolUniformShop.co.uk using the code SPARK10, while School Uniform Shop customers can access an exclusive introductory offer with Spark Tutoring.
The two businesses say the partnership is built around a simple shared ambition: helping children arrive at school properly equipped, confident and ready to learn. “There’s something wonderfully simple about what parents actually want when their child walks through the school gates in September,” concludes Conod. “We want them to look smart, feel comfortable and believe they can cope with whatever is waiting for them on the other side. Good uniform can help with the first two.
“The right educational support can make an enormous difference to the third. If the Back to School conversation this year becomes less about simply spending money and more about quality, confidence, durability and genuine value, that would be a very positive change.”