Back to school sales 2024: UK deals on stationery, uniform and more

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Some major supermarkets like M&S and Sainsbury's have already been and gone with their clothing sales, but there are still plenty of deals and discounts available.

Some of our favourites so far are 25% off backpacks at Argos and £300 discounts on laptops at HP, plus WH Smith is running a clearance sale with up to 70% off stationery.

If you're not sure what to buy, check out our tried and tested school uniform guide, but for now, here's our full guide to what to buy in the back to school sales 2024. Plus, how to make your own Yoto cards and did you know that Yoto has launched the full Yoto Harry Potter series?

Which UK retailers have back to school sales live right now?

There are dozens of shops taking part in this year's back to school sales so here's an overview of what you can get:

Argos – Offering up to 25% off backpacks, plus discounts on stationery, uniforms, shoes and more
Clarks – 20% off school shoes and £10 off sports shoes
Currys – Up to £300 off Acer laptops and £250 off Apple Macs
Disney Store – Up to 40% off backpacks, water bottles, jackets and more
Foot Asylum – 20% off for students on backpacks and shoes
House of Fraser – Major discounts on coats, shoes, socks and other essentials
HP – Get up to £300 off laptops and student tech
John Lewis – Uniform bundles from £7, plus savings on lunchboxes, water bottles and sports kit
Lenovo – Save up to 43% on laptops
Modibodi – 15% off teen period underwear
M&S – Get all school uniform essentials in red, green, yellow, blue, pink and more
New Look – Girls' school clothes and bags from £6
Next – School uniform from £4 a shirt and £7 a skirt
Papersmiths – Shop colourful notebooks and pads from £20
Ryman – Discounts across all stationery essentials including pens, pencils and math sets
Sainsbury's – savings on lunch box snacks and lunchboxes
Sports Direct – Discounts on school coats and PE kit
Tesco – Back to school stationery for £1 and under
Trotters – 10% off black school shoes and trainers
Tu Clothing – 2022 price lock on school uniform, polo shirts and sportswear from £3
Vistaprint – Savings on personalised school supplies
Waterstones – Save on notebooks, pens and Harry Potter-themed stationery supplies
WH Smith – 70% clearance sale on stationery, plus an extra 10% off for students with a Student Beans or UNiDAYS ID
The Works – Savings on notebooks, pen sets and other stationery essentials
Wowcher – Backpack sale with models starting from £6.99
Wuka – 3 for £36 on Teen Stretch and Teen Period underwear

When do back to school sales start in the UK?

The back to school sales tend to start from the minute the schools break up in July, although some have already been and gone.

Major supermarkets like Sainsbury's started as early as the 19th of June, while M&S and Aldi started on the 2nd and 4th of July. Tesco kicked theirs off a little later from the 23rd and other retailers like Argos and WH Smith have also started their sales.

When do back to school sales end in the UK?

Some back to school sales run all the way up to the end of the summer holidays, although this largely depends on the retailer.

The uniform sales at Asda, Sainsbury's and M&S have all ended, but you still may be able to find a good price in store and there are still sales on at Tesco, Aldi and more.

As for stationery and tech items, there are still plenty of sales on at Argos, Currys, WH Smith and other general retailers.

Best deals we’ve found so far in the 2024 UK back to school sales

Best back to school laptop deals

Apple MacBook Air 13.6-inch (2022) | £1,099 £849 (save £250 or 22%)

The Apple MacBook Air is now on sale for £849 at Currys. Although this is still an expensive purchase, MacBooks are made to last and will likely be your child's main device for most of secondary school.

Buy Apple MacBook Air 13.6-inch (2022) for ~~£1,099~~ £849 (save £250 or 22%) at Currys

ACER Aspire Laptop | £269 £189 (save £80 or 29%)

For a cheaper option, the Acer Aspire is a solid laptop that performs all the basic functions you need for homework tasks, plus it comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription worth £59.99.

Buy ACER Aspire Laptop for ~~£269~~ £189 (save £80 or 29%) at Currys

HP Pavilion 15-eg2017na Touchscreen Laptop | £700 £599.99 (save £100.01 or 14%)

At HP, you can get this Pavilion laptop, which comes with a foldable touch screen, for £100 less.

Buy HP Pavilion 15-eg2017na Touchscreen Laptop for ~~£700~~ £599.99 (save £100.01 or 14%) at HP

Best back to school stationery deals

Helix Oxford Complete Back to School Stationery Set | £27.99 £23.99 (save £4 or 16%)

If you're starting from scratch with stationery shopping, you can't go wrong with this Oxford complete set, featuring pens, pencils, colouring pencils, a calculator, rubber and a ruler.

Buy Helix Oxford Complete Back to School Stationery Set for ~~£27.99~~ £23.99 (save £4 or 16%)