Where to buy kids’ school uniforms online, from Asda to M&S
From reinforced knees to stain-resistant materials, these garments are sure to be able to take whatever your kids throw at them
(iStock/The Independent)Last month, prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed that schools will reopen to pupils from 8 March as part of his roadmap for easing lockdown in England.
With less than one week to go, the race is on to get children ready and after months of home-learning in their comfies, many have started to outgrow their uniforms.
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Getting new school uniform for growing kids is a hard and expensive task at the best of times, but with shops closed it’s proving to be even more difficult than usual.
Under Johnson’s plan, no non-essential shops are permitted to open until at least 12 April, and that includes school uniform shops.
Luckily, there are plenty of places online where you can buy back-to-school essentials such as blazers, shirts, skirts, trousers and sportswear.
To help take all the hassle out of getting your little ones ready to return to the classroom, we’ve rounded up the best places where you can find school uniform items online at a reasonable price, from Marks & Spencer to George at Asda, Matalan and more.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
Matalan
Matalan has a dedicated section for school uniform on its website that is packed with hundreds of essentials starting at just £1.50. The range includes items for both girls and boys, including trousers (£7-£9, buy now), pinafore dresses (£6-£7, buy now), sweatshirts (£3-£5, buy now) and cardigans (£4-£6, buy now).
The retailer also has a host of accessories and sports equipment to choose from, ranging from backpacks and lunchboxes (£8, buy now) to swimming goggles (£6, buy now).
In our round-up of the best school uniform, Matalan’s boy’s two-pack long sleeve school shirts (£4.50-£7.50, buy now) were praised for having adjustable cuffs and an easy-iron fabric. “As well as being great value for money, these long-sleeve shirts were especially comfy under a school jumper,” our reviewer said.
Shop Matalan school uniform now
George at Asda
The supermarket has everything you need to kit your children out from top to toe ahead of their big return to school, including items designed specifically for spring/summer, such as this gingham dress (£6, buy now) and these short-sleeved shirts (from £3, buy now).
Asda also offers a range of pieces for PE lessons, including football shirts (from £3, buy now) and plimsolls (from £2.50, buy now).
You can shop the website according to gender, school colours and fit solutions, such as longer length, plus and slim fit.
M&S
M&S says its range of school uniform is cleverly designed to last longer, stay cleaner and save you time thanks to repellent finishes, crease-resistant fabrics and scuff-resistant shoes.
If you’re planning to shop online, head to the kids' section of the M&S website where you’ll find a subdivision dedicated entirely to school uniforms. The retailer's range includes all the essential items you need with unisex, boys and girls options for everything from cotton polo shirts (£7-£15, buy now) to pleated skirts (£9-£14, buy now) and shorts (£8-£12, buy now).
The brand’s slim-fit non-iron shirts (£8-£14, buy now) won best buy in our round-up of the best school uniform with our tester calling them the “best school shirts ever”. “We didn’t think a slim fit would make that much difference in a shirt but it really does – our teenage testers are refusing to wear a different shirt ever again, so we’re stocking up,” they wrote.
Next
Next has a one-stop school uniform shop that has everything you need to send them back to school in style. The full collection can be shopped by gender, category and size, and includes everything from long-sleeved shirts (£9-£16, buy now) to pointelle cardigans (£9-£14, buy now).
The website also has a handy uniform builder that you can use to make sure you’ve covered all the bases, as it takes you step-by-step through each category.
In our round-up of the best school uniform, Next’s formal slim leg trousers (£8-£14, buy now) were featured for having an adjustable waistband that means you can get the perfect fit for maximum comfort without faffing about with a belt. “The stain-resistant fabric seems to help keep them looking smarter than the average pair of school trousers after repeated washing and wearing,” said our reviewer.
Tu Clothing at Sainsbury’s
You can buy your little one’s school uniform at the same time as your weekly shop at Sainsbury’s.
The supermarket offers a collection of items that are built to last, from shoes made with a scruff resistant coating to survive the playground (from £28, buy now) to trousers with reinforced knee technology (from £7, buy now) and non-iron shirts (from £8, buy now). The website also has a handy school uniform checklist where you can make sure you’ve got everything you need.
In our round-up of the best school uniform, the retailer’s jersey pinafore dresses (from £8, buy now) were praised for offering a little extra something in the comfort stakes. “The bow detail on the waist is a tad girly for our five-year-old tester, but she likes the button fastening on the shoulders,” our reviewer said.
Shop Tu Clothing school uniform now
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