PARENTS FORK OUT HUNDREDS IN ‘HIDDEN’ SCHOOL EXTRAS

PARENTS in Britain say they will pay an average of £323 to cover extra costs over the course of the new school year.

Mums and dads already struggling with the back-to-school bill say the pain continues as

they shell out for school trips, replacement uniforms and items for projects.

The vast majority (85%) of parents say they will be hit with extra school costs between now and the next summer holidays.

Parents in the East Midlands are worst hit when it comes to paying school extras, stumping up an average of £380.

Mums and dads in the east of England say they shell out another £360, while those in the south-east pay an extra £330 during the academic year, according to a survey for Coinstar.

But parents in the West Midlands say they get off relatively lightly, spending just £245 during the year.

Parents of pupils working towards their GCSEs pay up the most, with an average of £400 extra during the year.

Mums and dads with children aged between five and seven say they pay an extra £380 during the year, while the least painful years are in the sixth form, when parents pay an extra £270.

Forty-five per cent of British parents say the cost of sending their children to school is rising all the time compared with just a quarter (26%) who believe it is staying the same.

The survey showed that parents foot the school bills by borrowing money from grandparents (27%), delaying credit card repayments (25%), going into overdraft (23%) and dipping into their children’s savings.

Nick Harris, vice president of European operations, Coinstar Limited, said: “School shopping can put stress on household finances, especially as costs rise.

“The Coinstar survey revealed that British parents are resourceful and are finding ways to meet this budget challenge.”