Cost of state school education up by £500 since 2022, research finds

UK parents must now pay at least £1,000 a year for a child at state primary school and nearly £2,300 a year for a child at secondary school, marking a rise of 16% and 30% respectively, new research has found.A new report from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) found that these costs “far outstrip” both inflation and earnings growth.

The figures mark a significant increase from 2022, when the annual cost for sending a child to secondary state school was around £1,755, and nearly £865 for a primary school child.

Their calculation comes from an assessment of what parents think is the minimum needed for children to attend and participate in school.

The charities added that the cost of wraparound childcare, going on additional school trips, learning a musical instrument or taking part in after-school clubs are not included in the calculation and would “lead to significantly higher costs”.  

According to CPAG, the key drivers of the “stark rises” since 2022 are the cost of food during the school day, an increased need for technology, including devices, and, for secondary school pupils, higher subject costs such as art and design materials, on top of other learning costs such as textbooks and stationery.   

Kate Anstey, head of education policy at Child Poverty Action Group, said: “Parents are struggling to cover household bills while also forking out for pencils and PE gear at school. And still their children get priced out of school activities. Government’s forthcoming child poverty strategy must improve living standards for families. 

“Help with the cost of the school day – including an expansion of free school meals and cash support with uniform costs in England – would make a huge difference to parents and kids alike. And unless the strategy scraps the two-child limit, more and more children across the UK will see their potential – in and outside the school gates – stunted by poverty.”