Schools will be opening their doors agains next week. And there's even more good news for parents - uniform has never been cheaper, even for the biggest lads and lasses.

YOU really can't leave it any longer. Next week they'll be back in school and unless you want them turning up for lessons in swimming cossie and flip-flops, then you'd better get that uniform bought.

School uniform - of the anonymous grey, navy, black and white sort - has never been so cheap. Goodness knows how much, or little, the people making it are paid, but once the supermarkets started selling uniforms, their huge buying power brought prices plummeting.

For tinies you can now get a complete school uniform for under a tenner. ASDA boasts three items - skirt, jumper, polo shirt - all for £4.25.

The good news is that even at the very low prices, many of the clothes are non-iron or easy care or Teflon-coated. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean more work.

But while the battle for the cheapest has stalled - at £1 for polo shirts, how can prices really get any lower? - some stores are trying to nudge our consciences and specialise on aspects other than price, like ethical clothing and charity donations.

And if your little darling is not so little, you'll be glad to know there are still some stores where you can buy school uniforms in giant sizes.

CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP

Prices given are for the smallest sizes. Prices rise with size.

ASDA

Girls: Two-pack short-sleeve shirts £2; two-pack long-sleeve, non-iron shirts £3.50; Teflon-coated blazer £10; jersey skirt £2; cotton skirt £3; Teflon-protected box pleat skirt £2.50; Teflon-protected pinafore £4; jersey trousers £2; Teflon-protected trousers £3; bar shoe £6.

Boys: Cotton sweatshirts £1.75; two long-sleeve shirts £2; blazer £10; Teflon-protected elasticated-waist trousers £3; V-neck jumper £3; padded jacket £5.

JOHN LEWIS

Girls: Stain-resistant skirts from £5; twin-pack, non-iron blouses from £4; Teflon-coated blazers from £13.

Boys: Trousers from £4; two-pack polo shirts from £2.

MARKS & SPENCER

Girls: Three polo shirts £4; three easy-care short-sleeve blouses from £4; Easy-care skirt £4; stain-defence, non-iron skirt £7; bootleg trousers £4; stain-defence, non-iron trousers from £9; pinafore from £5; sweatshirts from £2.

Boys: Three easy-care, short-sleeve shirts £4; two stainaway non-iron short-sleeve shirts £8; stain-defence trousers £4; flat front trousers, two pairs £5; joggers £4; two football shorts from £5; stain-defence blazer £13.

MATALAN

Girls: Teflon-coated grey skirts from £3; box pleat pinafores from £4.50; cardigans in red, green or royal blue from £3.50; sweatshirts £1.75; pretty polo shirts from £4.50 for three; bootcut trousers from £3; diamante buckle trouser from £6; ballerina shoes £6.

Boys: Short-sleeved shirts from £3 for two; padded jacket from £8; pull-on trousers from £3.50; pleat-front trousers from £6; black Velcro fasten shoes £8.

TESCO

Girls: White jersey shirt from £3.50; pinafores from £7 for two; white polo necks from £3 for three; grey skirt from £3; jersey trousers from £3.50; long-sleeve non-iron shirts from £3.75 for three; cardigan from £1.90; sweatshirt from £2; fashion cardigan from £6.

Boys: V-neck jumper from £4; three-pack easy-care shirts from £3.75; coat from £7; pleat-front trousers from £3; two-pack red polo shirts from £2.

WOOLWORTHS

Girls: Long-sleeve blouse from £1; cotton cardigan from £2; trousers in grey, black or navy from £2; pintuck white blouse from £4; kilt from £5; patent shoes £8.

Boys: Short-sleeve shirts from £1; V-neck cotton jumper from £2; grey shorts from £2; tank tops from £3; non-iron pleat-front trousers from £4.

FEELGOOD FACTOR

BHS

HAVE just introduced a range made from recycled materials, including old plastic bottles. Polyester yarn is blended with cotton to make shirts (from £5), trousers (from £7), fleeces (from £9) and polo shirts (from £3.50).

MARKS & SPENCER

Every time you buy schoolwear at M&S, you're giving five per cent of the price tag to Save the Children Fund for educational projects in Uganda.

M&S also have a number of items made from Fair Trade cotton. These include scallop-trimmed polo shirts at two for £6; girls' long-sleeved blouses £16 for two; boys' shirts two for £11.

TESCO

Small organic cotton range including skirts from £4; pinafores from £6, trousers from £6, which they say have the seal of approval from the Eczema Association as especially suitable for children with sensitive skin.

BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST

CHILDREN are getting bigger - much, much bigger. Buying school uniform for large children can be a very depressing experience. Most of the standard ranges of schoolwear go up to around a 36" chest or a 30" waist. But some go much, much further.

M&S go up to 43" chest in girls' polo shirts and blouses and 31.5" waist in skirts and trousers; for boys they go up to 43" in shirts, or 16.5" collar and 36" waist in trousers.

But the biggest of all is BHS. They do school uniform on a truly grand scale. Many of their clothes are also available in "Generous fit" - with more room at the waist or across hips and thighs. But they also think big, very big.

Their girls' blazers and shirts go up to an amazing 50" (£7 for the shirt, £15.20 for the blazer). And their girls' generous-fit trousers go up to a 37" waist for £20.

For boys, BHS shirts extend to 49" or 18" collar (£7) and two pairs of non-iron, Teflon-coated trousers for £28 go up to a 44" waist.

So now you know where to go - all you have to do is get out and buy it.