School Uniform Costs in Australia
7 minute read ⌚
In this post, we will be looking ahead to our move to Adelaide, Australia, from Coventry, UK.
It’s a practical look ahead to something that will affect most families making the move down under.
We are talking about school uniform costs in Australia.
Our Family
Just to refresh your minds, we are a family of 4 from Coventry in the West Midlands, England.
Our children are 13 and 10 at the time of writing. We are planning on migrating to Adelaide in August of this year (2025), and our children will enter school in years 8 and 5, respectively.
One strange aspect of the journey for our youngest child is that she will leave England having just finished year 6. However, she will join her new school in the final term of year 5!
It’s just a result of the crossover in the way the school year works in the UK and Australia and the fact that she is an August baby.
She will go from being the youngest in the year to – if not the oldest – certainly the most experienced year 6!
Our School Choice
It’s still hard to say for certain that this will pan out how we are planning it. However, we have identified Hallett Cove School as a leading choice for our children to attend school.
The reasons for this are down to proximity to the city, Hallett Cove is not too far out from Adelaide City Centre or CBD (Central Business District), to use the Australian terminology.
Also, the school offers some special interest programs that are of interest to our Children.
School Uniform Pricing
I’m going to break down uniform costs by boy and girl, where the girl will be primary school age and the boy will be secondary school age.
I’ll add prices in Australian Dollars and Great British Pounds.
Today, the conversion rate is 1 GBP = 2.08 AUS according to Google.
Girls Uniform Pricing
Below I’ll list the items for a girl’s school uniform. There will be enough items for at least 2 uniforms per week.
Girls’ Uniform Total Cost
| Item | Cost in AUS ($) | Cost in GBP (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Polar Fleece Jacket | 48.00 | 23.07 |
| Summer Dress | 70.00 | 33.64 |
| Junior Polo | 30.00 | 14.42 |
| Culottes | 40.50 | 19.46 |
| Stretch Casual Pants Youth | 43.00 | 20.66 |
| Bucket Hat | 13.00 | 6.25 |
| Total Cost: | $244.50 | £117.50 |
Boys Uniform Pricing
The boy’s uniform breakdown will be done in a similar way, with enough items for 2 uniforms.
| Item | Cost in AUS ($) | Cost in GBP (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Senior School Polo | 33.00 | 14.42 |
| Zip Collar Windcheater | 69.50 | 33.40 |
| Rugby Top | 89.00 | 42.77 |
| Baggy Pants Adults | 39.50 | 18.98 |
| Elastic Waist Shorts | 36.00 | 17.30 |
| Bucket Hat | 13.00 | 6.25 |
| Total Cost: | $280.00 | £133.12 |
Thoughts On Australian School Uniforms
Our initial thoughts on school uniform costs in Australia are that it’s clear that some items are more expensive than in the UK.
The primary school summer dress, for example. In the UK, it’s common to purchase summer dresses for half the price from a Supermarket. However, that may be because we tend to wear the same dresses across the country, with only the colour changing.
Overall, the Australian school uniform looks much more comfortable compared to the tie and blazer type uniforms we subject our secondary age young people to.
Of course, there are other things we are not comparing here, such as footwear.
The objective was just to give an overview of a typical state school uniform and its associated cost.
Images and pricing here are taken from https://onlinestore.devonclothing.com.au/, who provide uniforms for various schools throughout the city.
Uniforms can be ordered online and delivered to a home address or in some instances, collected from the school.
Thank you for reading.
