New figures put the cost of seeing a child through school at almost £16,000 - and Kidlington mother of quads Marina Smy is one of thousands of Oxfordshire parents feeling the pinch.

Research by Norwich Union found the total bill for sending a child to state school from five to 16 has risen more than £1,500 in the last two years, to £15,940.

Parents will stump up for an average 59 pairs of trousers or skirts, 46 shirts or blouses, 53 jumpers, 46 pairs of shoes and 30 school trips - with transport, technology and sports kits causing an even bigger headache.

Marina Smy, 44, from Kidlington, is mum to nine-year-old quads William, Jack, Jamie and Rosie - and she is well aware of the cost.

She said: "When I first heard £16,000 I thought no way, that's too much.

"But when you think about everything you buy, the cost of trips and especially what you have to get when they go up to secondary school, it probably isn't that too way-out a figure - especially if you buy new all the time."

Mrs Smy's husband Nick, 46 is a senior driver for a haulage firm and the children attend North Kidlington School.

She said: "With four children the same age I have to be prepared early and shop wisely.

"I just can't afford to go out and spend hundreds of pounds on four new uniforms and sports kits.

"So, I shop all year round taking advantage of special offers, sales and multiple buy deals, such as buy two pairs of trousers and get one free.

"I also have a lot of help from my family and friends, and I get some things given to me.

"But even so, there are some things you have no choice about, like having to buy a lot of new trousers, skirts and shoes which cost a lot of money."

According to a Norwich Union survey of 1,009 parents, the biggest expense is transport, with parents spending an average of £366 a year, ferrying their offspring to and from school.

School lunches cost £358 a year, with nearly twice as much each week spent on school dinners than packed lunches. Meanwhile, sports kits cost £169 per child, which is more expensive than text books or technology.

Mrs Smy said: "Luckily we live close to the children's school, so we don't have huge transport costs.

"But they are starting to get offers for school trips and although I've managed to put off one expensive trip so far, next year they will go on an activity trip that costs £300 each.

"This year we have the three boys at Cubs, Rosie at Brownies, gymnastics and football and two of the boys at football. My work as a teaching assistant has to pay for all that."

She added: "Even at primary school the children need a sports kit for inside and another for outdoor sports.

"But when they go to secondary school next year they will have to have three different kits each and I'll have no choice but to buy specific uniforms from selected shops.

"This means I can't shop around for the bargains - and that will be when things start to get really tough."