Late August often brings with it a flurry of parents to stationary and uniform shops around the UK. With most school kids set to go back to their classrooms in early September, it's now or never to get that calculator.

But - research now shows that sending your child back to school is getting more expensive than ever before. Spare a thought for the parents, freshly back from a jaunt in a sunny European capital, who are now being pestered by their kids to pay an average £845 on new gear for school, according to research conducted by Backmarket.

More than 50% of mums and dads are getting told they "need" a new schoolbag this September. The biggest stinger though?

Tech - over a quarter of parents revealed their kids are being told they need a new laptop to start their new school year. Remember when it was just a blackboard and chalk? You wouldn't have to pay for those either...

According to the data, eight in ten parents said they will struggle to afford everything their child "needs" for back to school.

Mum-of-five Laura Dove said: "Back-to-school season can be one of the most financially stressful times for parents.

"After the expense of summer with holidays, days out, and childcare; it can certainly feel overwhelming to then face the cost of essential school items like phones and laptops.

"Before working with Back Market, I'd never really considered refurbished tech as an option, but now it's a smart, affordable way to get all the devices we need for September- without the heavy financial burden or the environmental impact."

Luke Forshaw, Head of Brand and Marketing at Back Market said: "The data shows just how much money parents are expected to fork out for their children's back-to-school items - with tech emerging as the biggest drain on parents' pockets."

"We understand that kids may be under pressure to go back to school with the iPhones, laptops and tablets, but there are ways to keep these costs down, receive quality devices, while also looking after the planet."

Last year in a separate study conducted by Specsavers, parents said they reckon they'll only manage to tick off three quarters of their 'back to school' checklist in time for the new term.

A survey of 1,000 parents with school-aged children revealed that buying new uniforms, fitting school shoes and sorting out transport are just a few tasks on the seemingly endless list.

Parents paying hundreds to send kids back to school with most 'wanting laptops' - Daily Star