Parents are set to spend more than £100 per child on "back to school" clothes

The average spend per child is £108.59 according to the research, which asked parents to estimate how much they usually spend on back to school clothing and products, per child, per year.

More than four-fifths (44 per cent) of parents of children of school age splurge the most on shoes, while 16 per cent said blazers are the most costly purchase and 11 per cent splash the cash the most on stationery, according to website MyVoucherCodes.

The survey also found that 42 per cent of parents now opt for second-hand clothes to help ease the financial burden.

A further 38 per cent of parents said they have bought plain clothing and attach the school logo separately. Those who did this typically estimated they saved more than £40 per year.

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One in eight (12 per cent) parents surveyed start back to school shopping in the first week of the summer holidays, while 13% who are planning even further ahead start as early as April.

Sarah-Jane Outten, a shopping and money expert at MyVoucherCodes, said: "The cost of school uniforms and supplies can add significant pressure to household budgets, especially during the summer holidays.

"It’s encouraging to see parents using creative and cost-effective methods like buying second-hand or personalising plain uniforms to save money. With a bit of planning, there are real opportunities to cut costs without compromising on quality."

Some 1,000 parents of school-aged children were surveyed by OnePoll in June and July for the research.