Parents’ school spending has jumped by £40bn in four years to hit £129bn for eleven years of education, according to Norwich Union.

The insurer’s School Sums Index revealed the total average cost of sending a child to state school (from age 5 to 16) is now £14,000, compared to £10,000 in 2002. UK parents will fork out £11.8bn in 2006/7 alone on everyday education costs. That works out at £1,300 per child per school year, Norwich Union claims.

The top three most expensive items include transport (£2.5bn per year or £301 per child), food (£2.4bn per year or £270 per child) and shoes (£618m per year or £70 per child). Parents of boys apparently face a larger bill as the survey recorded they had spent more on after-school tuition and clubs, and clothes. But those with daughters can expect to fork out more on shoes, the survey found.

Simon Quick, director of marketing at Norwich Union, said: “Many parents think of state school as free but the costs are significant.

“It’s important to allow for these costs when managing your finances. If parents do their school sums now, they’ll know what they need to put aside and be more prepared for the future.”