In a move that will shock absolutely no one who has ever priced a blazer, an east London charity shop is letting parents grab school uniforms for a fiver - and it's proving wildly popular amid the rising cost of living.

S.M.I.L.E. London & Essex, a charity that 'provides support to families facing poverty, homelessness, and hardship,' is running its eighth annual uniform swap shop from its Romford premises. Because nothing says 'back to school' like desperately trying to outfit a growing child without remortgaging your flat.

Parent Sandra Koli, who was browsing the racks, told BBC London: 'It helps me not to be anxious, because the price is really affordable so I don't have to worry too much.' She added, astutely: 'This is the right time for it, because by the end of August it will be really crowded and much more expensive - so I can relax and enjoy my summer until the school starts.'

Maria Quaife, from S.M.I.L.E., revealed the scale of the operation: 'We've got 1,000 items of school uniform - branded and generic - from across Havering, Barking and Dagenham.' Families can donate outgrown items and take whatever they need for just £5.

'We tend to get about 500 children coming through our doors each year, and it's been getting more and more every year, unfortunately, because of the cost of living,' Quaife said. 'But a new school uniform can cost around £300-400 per child. We're saving families locally thousands of pounds.'

The shop also stocks shoes and football boots at reduced prices, because apparently kids' feet also grow at inconvenient times.

For context, the Department for Education reports that the average total expenditure on school uniform for the 2023/24 school year was just under £250, with PE kit adding nearly £140. So, a £5 price tag is the retail equivalent of finding a unicorn in a charity bin.

Ishtiaq Khan, a father of six, was equally grateful: 'Three of them are still going to school. Otherwise, it could have been very much more difficult for us or a struggle for us. But due to this, all arrangements and the provisions, we say that it is one of the very satisfying experiences that we are here to do all these things for the children.'

The swap shop is open to all and runs until 22 August. Donations of back-to-school packs for disadvantaged families are also welcome. Because if there's one thing we've learned, it's that September comes for us all - and it's not cheap.