The survey of more than 1,000 parents revealed that, of those parents who reported that they would not be able to afford everything their child needed, 43 per cent said they would have problems buying the school uniform and 26 per cent said they would not be able to buy their children a full PE kit.
More than 50 per cent said that they would have to cut back on essential items such as food or paying bills to make ends meet.
Figures published by the DCSF in 2007 estimate that it costs parents £600 per year to support their children through primary school.
Eleri Thomas, Save the Children's director for Wales, said, 'Families living in poverty often have just £20 to spend on food each week, so to find the money to cover all the back-to-school costs is impossible.
'It is unacceptable that many parents, especially those on a low income, cannot afford to buy their children a winter coat or new shoes. Parents should not have to risk getting into debt or leaving their children without such basic essentials. The Government must ensure families who are struggling to afford school costs can at least get a uniform grant from their local authority.'
Save the Children and Family Action have set up a new grant scheme, funded by British Gas, which provides small grants of up to £200 for families experiencing financial difficulty. So far 32 families have received a total of £5,600 to help them meet school-related costs.
A separate study published on Tuesday by the charity 4Children found that, out of 300 children surveyed between the ages of five and 16, one in three children have never experienced a traditional family day out. A third had never been abroad, while 37 per cent had never been to the theatre and 38 per cent had never been to a theme park. One in ten had not been on any kind of family outing in the past 12 months.
Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said, 'The difference in school holiday experiences between poor and more affluent families is vast.'
