The cost to parents of school

The cost of schooling can quickly add up

UK parents spend on average more than £1,300 a year on each child in the state school sector, a survey suggests.

That included £60 on school trips, £50 on sports kits, £30 on text books and £261 on school meals, according to a Norwich Union poll of 1,054 parents.

Parents can expect to spend 1,000 hours helping their children with homework between the ages of five and 16.

They will buy 43 shirts or blouses, 48 skirts or pairs of trousers, 38 pullovers and 37 pairs of shoes.

AVERAGE ANNUAL COSTS Coat £37.87 Trousers/skirt £43.18 Jumper £23.80 Shirt £18.62 Shoes £70.12 Bag £19.04 Sports kit £50.66 Text books £30.01 School trips £60.57 After-school clubs £43.09 Technology £46.53 Packed lunches £280.74 School dinners £260.79 Transport £301.23 £48.85 Total: £1,335.12 Source: Norwich Union survey

Boys were found to be slightly more costly than girls, as they were more likely to have after-school tuition and attend after-school clubs.

But parents of girls can expect to spend more on shoes than boys' parents.

A spokesman for Norwich Union, Simon Quick, said: "Many parents think of state schools as being free but the costs are significant.

"Over £1,000 of parents' money gets spent per child each year just covering the everyday costs of sending our children to school.

"This quickly racks up for families with two or three children and with an increase of £200 per child a year over the last four years, parents need to consider the increasing needs and demands of our children."