IF you're a parent of a school-age child then you're bound to be having the back-to-school nightmare.

Next week thousands of children will reach the end of their lengthy summer holidays, but before they hit the books they'll be hitting the shops for essentials.

This time of year is always as costly as the start of the holidays, as new starters get kitted out and old timers realise their trainers don't fit or their hockey socks have gone mouldy.

And this year there are more and more options of what to buy.

If you need uniform you might want to forget about the high streets and head for your local supermarket.

Both Tesco branches in Worcester, and Asda in Bromsgrove, stock a range of school clothing.

With prices ranging from £5 for a skirt, and V-neck jumpers for under £10, it's possible to get kitted out for under £30.

Tesco says it can operate as a one-stop-shop for clothing, footwear, bags, stationery, lunchboxes and other accessories.

Children's store Adams is also offering bargain prices but value clothing for stressed-out parents.

For £18 your four-year-old can be dressed in trousers, polo shirt and sweater.

"Adams recognise that scoring top marks with fashion conscious colleagues is an absolute must for school kids of all ages," said a spokesman.

"Gear for this new school year combines attention to detail with quality designs that will see them through countless days in the classroom and cater perfectly for the playground."

Adams has also come up with something for parents. To make sure your child goes home with the right uniform, name tags are included as standard on all items.

If your child has sensitive skin and school clothing tends to itch, then Marks & Spencer has developed a range that would increase your child's comfort.

With the help of the National Eczema Society and Great Ormond Street Hospital, the high street store has created eczema-friendly garments.

Using 100 per cent cotton the clothing is made using flat seams, transfer labels and latex free elastic.

M & S has also brought out a new range of underwear for extra comfort.

Sensitive Skin Chitopoly underwear uses a natural anti-bacterial agent that helps to inhibit the growth of bacteria on fabric.

It is also highly absorbent and soft on the skin.

If you're all sorted on the clothes front but are still stocking up on stationery then read on.

Children tend to stick with fashions and when something is out of date it's out the window. Parents don't have to worry with this new brand of stationery.

Tag it, from DYMO, is a new range which can personalise anything from a ruler to schoolbooks.

If teenagers get fed up of their current pin up they can change their picture with someone else's.

"I think my teenage daughter would like that for school, and it would save me money.

"She changes her mind as often as she changes her hairstyle," said Jennie Heaver, a mother-of-two.

"You seem to spend a lot of money on stationery and quite a lot of it is fashionable for only a short time so anything that saves money is brilliant."

DYMO's multi-coloured A4 Sorted folder keeps all schoolwork in order in the funkiest way, and there is also a CD storage folder to match.

All Tag It products are available in bright green, orange and purple, with prices starting at 69p from Staples stores.

DYMO have also developed bright labellers to stop things getting lost.

The LetraTag 2000 costs £19.99 and can personalise everything from rulers and pens to scissors and staplers, with pictures of cats, dogs and stars.

Stationery favourites Helix have also come up trumps this summer.

There is the traditional maths set and a new maths manager, which comes with a calculator, school timetable and a quick reference maths formula chart.

Helix has created a new range called Gul, which is made from neoprene.

The range, which is coloured red, grey and black, includes a zip case, pencil case, writing set, A4 ring binder and a special edition pen and tin set.

If you want to make sure schoolbooks don't end up looking like the dog's eaten it, Helix have devised a set of book covers to keep them looking good.

And if you just can't face leaving the house surrounded by children, you can always shop on the internet.

ShopsOnTheNet.com offers more than 13,500 shops with 34 different shopping categories so you will never have to leave the house.