Bethan LewisFamily and education correspondent, BBC Wales News Vicky Williams says she starts to worry about budgeting for the next school year at Christmas A mum says she starts to dread the new school year from Christmas because of the cost of uniform and other kits her children will need in September. Vicky Williams, from Caerphilly, said she gets "anxious" her children will not have everything they need and has to start budgeting months in advance. It is estimated the minimum cost of sending a child to secondary school has reached almost £2,300 a year, up £600 since 2022, with the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) saying lower and middle-income families face "a real struggle".