One out of every four schoolwear sales is made by a supermarket

Prices for schoolwear items have never been lower - if parents shop around, market researchers TNS said.

But it said parents are consistently buying more items, particularly school sportswear and brand-name trainers.

Of the 457 parents polled, 93% said their children had to wear a uniform. But most liked the fact that it was a great leveller and looked smart.

TNS said competition between High Street shops, supermarkets and clothing discount stores was so fierce that back-to-school items are now the focus of a price war.

In supermarkets and clothing discount stores, a primary school child's basic school uniform costs less than �15.

And on the High Street, Marks and Spencer, for example, says it has reacted by cutting prices of many items to half what they were two years ago.

Around 13% of the parents surveyed by TNS rated the cost of uniform among their top three concerns.

At the older end of the market, children are wanting the latest fashion trend each season TNS spokeswoman Fiona Bell

And only one out of every 10 said they would not be buying new items of uniform this year.

Of the rest, 70% were buying trousers or shorts, 59% shirts or blouses, 55% jumpers or cardigans, 43% school supplied uniform T-shirts, 42% sports clothes, 41% sports shoes or trainers, 35% skirts, and 8% new school shoes.

One out of every four schoolwear sales is made by a supermarket - twice as many as five years ago.

TNS spokeswoman Fiona Bell told BBC News: "As prices are coming down and there is more on offer in the High Street and in the supermarkets, people are buying more items.

"At the older end of the market, children are wanting the latest fashion trend each season."

These days there is sports kit for everything - all weathers, indoors, outdoors, football, rugby, cricket Jan Smeeth of Brenda's Schoolwear

Spending on schoolwear for children aged from 12 to 16 has risen 24% this year, according to TNS.

A secondary school uniform costs three times as much as one for a primary school, its research indicates.

And 85% of back-to-school shop purchases are made for children above the age of eight.

The single most expensive item is likely to be trainers, according to TNS, with parents spending up to �200 for the latest designer brand labels.

Jan Smeeth of Brenda's Schoolwear told BBC News: "Sports items is the area where parents are having to spend more and more - shoes, shorts, rugby shirts, polo shirts, you name it.