Parents spend £2 billion preparing kids for the new term

Parents across the country will be dreading the return to school this week even more than their children as new research by Santander Credit Cards reveals the eye-watering cost of going back to school.

The total cost of kitting out the nation's school kids with clothes, books, stationery and other necessities in preparation for the new school term is a staggering £2 billion, equivalent to around £177.28 per child.

Unfortunately the investment doesn't stop there, as the cost of keeping under 18s across the UK in school once term begins totals £446 million per week. This works out at roughly £38.81 per school child per week and includes everyday costs such as packed lunches, bus fares, school trips and after-school activities.

According to the figures, almost half (46 per cent) of parents with children of a school age drive them to or from school at least once a week, with the average number of journeys being seven per week. As a result, the average parent that drives spends an estimated £163.40 on fuel each year and clocks up an additional 908 miles. Collectively, this amounts to an £862 million fuel bill and a distance travelled of around 4.8 billion miles per year.

On a per child basis, school uniform (£39.49), school shoes (£26.39) and jackets and coats (£21.26) are the biggest outlays for parents in advance of school term time. And once the school term begins, the biggest regular outgoings (per child per week) are packed lunches (£6.97), school dinners (£5.25), and bus or train fares (£4.19).

Alan Mathewson, CEO Santander Cards, commented: "Putting children through school is expensive but unavoidable, and unfortunately not a cost that is reducing. At a time when families don't have a great deal of disposable income, it's vital that any money they do spend is used wisely.

"There are ways to make the ‘back to school' shopping spree a little easier and spending on a cashback card is a great example. The Santander 123 Credit Card could see parents rewarded for spending on the majority of back to school items, including the most costly such as packed lunches and school clothes and even fuel for the school run."

Santander's 123 Cashback Credit Card pays 1% cashback at supermarkets, 2% cashback at department stores and 3% cashback at petrol stations.

For more information, visit Santander.co.uk/creditcards.