A mum has been left outraged at the price of school uniforms after forking out £242 - and still has more to pay.
Author and blogger, Jennifer Gilmour, is speaking out because she wants to see a change in the system to stop parents spending hundreds of pounds to send their children back to school.
Jennifer has two children in primary school and one starting secondary school, reports Hull Live.
READ MORE: Mum asks if it's worth 'starting a fight' over son's £68 Kickers shoes after school ban
She said: "We recognise that there is a cost when sending kids back to school but it's the sheer price of it all. It seems like it is a way of the schools making more money.
"I find the issue to be especially problematic with secondary school. There's no budget alternatives to the branded uniforms so you cannot find alternatives in the supermarkets etc.
"I have spent £242 already and I've not finished buying. I paid £60 for three pairs of shoes. Our eldest is starting high school and on him alone I spent £120.
"Why can't we use our own blazers and print the school badge on top. Some schools have their own houses as well so you have to have a specific coloured tie. It's also the fact this purchasing comes in the summer holidays too."
According to her school's website Jennifer's daughter needs to wear a plain white loose fitting shirt, a black blazer with the school logo on, a house tie to be worn with six visible stripes, either plain black full length tailored and waist high trousers, or a plain black knee length flared, pleated, or A line skirt, as well as plain black leather or leather-looking polished shoes.
The total cost of just her daily uniform would tally up to £88.97 - if both skirt and trousers are purchased and only one pack of twin shirts.
She will also need PE kit costing yet more money.
Jennifer added that she runs a parenting group in Cheshire where parents said Hull prices are cheap in comparison to their £1,000 spending on uniforms.
The mum and campaigner recently shared her frustration on social media where she gained a response from Labour MP Emma Hardy.
On Twitter she said: "£242 on school uniform for three children and I'm still yet to buy two 'dress skirts', a pack of shirts and a school jumper.
"Yes it's for three children but still, after the summer holidays. @EmmaHardyMP #BacktoSchool2021."
Emma Hardy responded and said: "It’s still too expensive. There is Re:Uniform to help locally."
Jennifer said she is now donating any old uniforms which no longer fit her children to the bank at Sainsbury's for other pupils to have.
She added: "There should be more flexibility when it comes to uniforms and parents should be able to do things with them from home.
"Like I said we can wear our own blazers etc. I can pass blazers bought from the shop down through my kids but it is still ridiculous."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
