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The school term is about to begin, with many kids needing new uniforms. Getting ready for the next school year can prove expensive, especially with growing children or when starting new schools.

Many stores across the UK sell school uniforms, so it can be hard to know which place is best to shop at when you want to keep costs down. Data comparing school uniforms from the likes of Sainsbury’s, Next, M&S, John Lewis and Asda have shown that two stores provide the best value for money. The retailers were ranked based on the total cost of a basket containing boys’ and girls’ polos, a girls’ cardigan, girls’ skirt, girls’ trousers, boys’ sweatshirt, boys’ shorts and boys’ trousers.

There is a staggering £21 difference between the stores. According to money experts at Fast Loan UK, Sainsbury’s and Asda have been ranked as the joint cheapest places to stock up on school uniforms this year.

The latest figures show that a total basket costs £42 from both Sainsbury’s and Asda. They are followed by Tesco, where the same basket of items costs £42.50.

Next’s basket costs £50, Matalan is £52, Marks and Spencer is £54.50, and the most expensive is John Lewis, with its basket costing £63.

Joe Brunt, Consumer Finance Expert at Fast Loan UK, said: “With the summer holidays fast approaching, many parents will be starting to think about getting their children ready for the new school year. School uniforms can quickly become an expensive part of the back-to-school shop, particularly for families buying multiple sets or shopping for more than one child.

“Our research shows that where parents shop can make a significant difference to the overall cost, with a £21 difference between the cheapest and most expensive baskets. Taking the time to compare prices and looking out for supermarket bundles and multi-buy offers could help families keep their back-to-school spending under control.”

Aldi and Lidl were not included in the comparison as their offerings don’t provide like-for-like items to the other retailers, yet the supermarkets do offer back-to-school uniform deals.

Aldi has its popular back-to-school range, which includes a £5 uniform bundle. It contains two polo shirts, one sweatshirt or cardigan and a choice of trousers, skirt or cargo shorts.

Other items include a jersey skirt for £2.49, leggings or a skort for £3.49 and a two-pack of joggers for £5.99.

Lidl also offers a £5 school uniform bundle, containing two polo shirts, one sweatshirt and a choice of trousers, skirt or shorts. The supermarket’s two-pack of polo shirts costs £1.75, working out at just 88p per shirt.

Aldi and Lidl’s uniform ranges are subject to availability, with the supermarkets advising shoppers to act quickly while stocks last.