Today I’m sharing some things to know before buying a school PE kit in the UK. Regular readers will know my kids are almost 14 and 15, so I’ve been buying school supplies and school PE kit for many years. That said, I feel experienced enough to share some tips to help when you’re buying PE kits for your kids too.
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School PE kit has come a long way from how it was in 1980’s – 1990’s England… We had to wear shorts, a t-shirt and black plimsoles for everything in primary school, and if you forgot it, you did PE in your underwear! By the time I started high school in 1995, my school PE kit was a red polo shirt, navy PE skirt and trainers, whatever the weather.
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Supermarkets Often Stock Unbranded School PE Kit
When your kids are in Primary school, the PE kit tends to comprise of a pair of shorts, a polo shirt (often in a specific colour), and some trainers. That’s all usually available from the local supermarket, and doesn’t cost a huge amount. That all changes once your children head to high school, though.
This is what our local high school requires for PE:
- Academy polo shirt with logo (£11)
- Academy logo PE shorts (£9)
- Academy PE socks (£6.50)
- Academy Hooded Jumper (£17)
- Academy Waterproof Jacket (£25) – Optional
- Trainers with a white sole
- Football boots for use on grass
- Appropriate sports bag
The total cost of the mandatory Academy branded items is £43.50, or £68.50 if your child feels the cold and wet like mine do.
Buying Footwear for a School PE Kit
On top of the mandatory PE kit clothing, parents also have to purchase an appropriate sports bag, trainers with a white sole, and football boots. My daughter tells me that dark soles mark the gym floor, hence the insistence on a white sole. Most kids will at least be able to wear their PE trainers outside of school as well, so they’ll get their use, at least.
When it comes to kids football boots, I was pleasantly surprised at the adidas deals available online, and some even come with free personalisation, so you can literally get their name printed on the boots! With that in mind, I’d definitely recommend looking on their website when the time comes to buy your child a pair of football boots.
Don’t be Scared to Ask for Help
My daughter’s school do have plenty of spare kit and several pairs of football boots available to lend, so it may be worth speaking to the school directly if you’re finding the cost of their school PE kit difficult to cover.
I’m a parent governor at my son’s special needs high school, and they do a uniform swap at the end of each school year. You can go along with your old uniform and PE kit that still have life left in them, and swap items for the next size up. It helps so many local families, and prevents decent items going to landfill when there’s still plenty of wear left in them.
Label EVERYTHING
My son’s come home without his swimming towel or shorts a few times, but thanks to his name being inside everything, it’s always been returned to us within a couple of days. His school’s lost property is always overflowing though, and school regularly encourages parents to label everything as a result. I was gifted a name stamper in 2017, and it’s still going strong. (I’m not sure my daughter loves the bunnies quite as much these days though)!
That said, I have honestly lost count of the number of times my daughter has lost her school PE kit. It’s all labelled, but when she leaves the entire bag on the bus, there’s little to no chance of it ever making it home. It’s an expensive kit though, so losing it has a real financial impact. On top of that, her school hand out detentions if a pupil’s uniform / PE kit isn’t exactly right. This has caused more than a few headaches over the past couple of years.
Consider an AirTag
When my daughter announced last week that she had lost her entire PE kit – complete with £80 trainers, I decided to buy an Apple AirTag to put in the new PE bag. I am hoping this will allow us to track it down, should she leave it on the bus again.
I am annoyed at myself that it’s taken me this long to consider it – my son’s Autistic so he has one in his coat pocket and one on his school shoe as well, in case he ever gets lost.
There are plenty of other devices similar to airtags, but if you’re an Apple household too, I highly recommend them.
Final Thoughts on Buying School PE Kit in The UK
So there you have it! Five things to know before buying school PE kit in the UK…
- Non branded PE Kit is often available and affordable in supermarkets.
- Shop around for a great deal on school PE kit footwear.
- Don’t be scared to ask for help if you’re struggling to afford the entire kit.
- Label everything.
- Consider an AirTag.
Finally, let me know in the comments if you have any other tips you’d share with fellow parents, when it comes to buying school PE kit in the UK.
