A long summer holiday has inevitably put pressure on our purse strings, and the return to school can feel overwhelming – as we pay for uniforms, lunches and stationery. Dawn Ward, Assistant Director of Aberlour, Scotland’s children’s charity, shares her advice for accessing support, and helping others when you can. Heather Royan from Babes in the Wood in Bishopbriggs talks about their free school uniform bank.

Kim and Eileen also head for a woodland adventure with two parents in Dundee who home educate their children. It can feel like an unaffordable option to many, so how did they plan their finances to make it work – and what are the free and discounted resources available to all home educators?