Back to School Essentials

Whether your child is starting school for the first time or about to sit their exams they will need these essentials. Your child’s school will give you a list of items you will need. Sops is in the latter years of secondary school. Since Reception class, she has had a Primary school branded backpack, many other fashionable backpacks, several pencil cases, and lost a few PE kits as well. Our main piece of advice for you is to LABEL EVERYTHING!

These are the items we recommend throughout your child’s time at school based on experience.

(NB: Some of the links on this post are Affiliate links, which means that Sops and I may receive a small commission if you purchase anything using these links. For more information please read our Affiliate Disclaimer.)

Preparing for Primary School

Primary schools tend to provide all the stationary and creative materials your child will need in the classroom. You will just need to provide a school bag, the uniform and a lunchbox.

In my youth, I had a battered leather satchel. I was rather ashamed of it, to be honest, but now they are in vogue, especially among creative types. However, satchels are not good for the back, especially with the amount of things that children are expected to take to school these days. We recommend you give your child a backpack throughout their school career to protect their little spines.

Check with your child’s school if they need a school-branded bag. If not, you can give your child a small backpack such as these:

Pokemon School Bag

This school bag consists of a backpack, lunch bag, pencil case, and a drinking bottle. It has comfortable straps and a bottle pocket. Everything your little Pokemon trainer needs as they attend Pokemon Training School.

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SIVENKE Kid’s Backpack

Here is another wonderfully practical backpack for your child. It is big enough for your child’s books and lunch box etc. but not too big that they will topple over. It is a strong robust backpack that will survive being dragged across the concrete playground, which you know will happen to it.

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Varsany Personalised Kids Backpack

One of the good things about having a bright pink bag is that it is easy to identify which one is your child’s in a huge heap of school bags. This one is extra special as you can personalise it. No need to have an embarrassing conversation with another child’s parents because they picked up your child’s bag instead. So long as they don’t have the same name as your child, that is.

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NB For practical lunch box ideas read our post on Quick and Easy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids

Uniform

There are definitely pros and cons regarding school uniforms. Your child won’t have to worry about what to wear each day and it can reduce bullying if everyone is wearing the same. Also, it is a lot easier to identify your class on a school trip when they are all wearing the same colours.

Some schools are a bit more fussy about uniforms than others. However, recently the government has passed guidelines so schools should not expect parents to buy from certain retailers or have too many branded items of clothing. This will allow parents to buy cheaper items of clothes in supermarkets.

NB: When ordering your child’s school uniform try the website myclothes.com. This site provides embroidered uniforms for 7,305 schools nationwide. They are fast and effective and their clothes are very good quality. In addition, they will donate 5% of your order to your child’s school.

Secondary School

At Secondary School, your child will be expected to take their own equipment to school. They are going to big school now and may need a bigger bag or at least a more grown-up looking back. They have their reputation to think of, after all.

KOMO School Waterproof Backpack

This is a perfect backpack for your Secondary School child. It is waterproof, has tons of storage space, a padlock and even a USB port, so your child can charge their phone on the go. No more excuses that their phone has run out of battery when you are trying to call them after school.

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HANXIUCAO Teens School Backpack

This cute stylish bag will suit your child in the first year or two at Secondary School. It is easily identifiable with the teddy bear key rings, has plenty of space and a hidden secure back pocket for their phone.

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LOVEVOOK Laptop Backpack

This is the ultimate backpack. It can be used for travel, school, and work. In fact, I think I fancy it myself for work. It is large enough to carry a laptop and has a USB port and a plethora of pockets. It has secret secure pockets for your mobile phone as well.

Your child will look super cool and stylish wearing this backpack.

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Should My Child Have A Mobile Phone?

We recommend your child have a smartphone when attending Secondary School. There are two reasons for this:

If your child is making their own way to school you can track them to make sure they are safe. The Google Family Link allows you to track your child’s phone. This has certainly put my mind at rest when I have sent Sops to school.
Whether you like it or not, smartphones are part of our everyday lives. Even schools assume the children have their smartphones and sometimes request they download educational apps. Your child may miss out on their education without it.

NB: The backpacks with USB ports do not come with a portable battery. You will have to get one seperately. We recommend the INIU Power battery.

Stationary

Everyone loves beautiful, practical stationary. Everyone feels satisfied with new pens and pencils etc. Just think really carefully about what your child actually needs and what is an unnecessary burden that takes up space in their backpack. Do they really need a stapler or mini hole punch? They may beg you for loads of stupid impractical items to stuff in their pencil cases, which they will only use once, if ever.

Here is a list of basic things your child can take to school.

Scientific Calculator – Buy the make that the school recommends. It really throws the maths teacher if your child has a different make to what they are used to.
Foldable Ruler – Let’s be honest, pencil cases are never big enough for a ruler. Make it easier for yourself and get a folderable one.
Geometry Set – Secondary School Maths includes geometry. Your child will need this set to answer some of the questions. Only they won’t need it for every maths lesson. It’s worth having a compact set to store in your child’s bag all the time, just in case they are asked to whip it out.
Coloured Pencils – Make sure they are personalised, so your child can identify their own pencils after other kids have borrowed them hundreds of times.
Personalised Pens – You also need to personalise your child’s pens. They will often go missing at school.
Office Set – Your child will also need pencils, pens, highlighter, a sharpener and a rubber. Plus a green pen.
Glue – There is always so much glueing to do at school. Whilst teachers may provide PVC glue, which children will spend forever peeling off their hands, it is better if your child has their own glue. Although don’t give your child glue if they cannot be trusted with it.
Plastic Folders – Your child will need these in order to keep their books and work clean and dry. These folders are invaluable.
Headphones – No matter what your child’s school says, your child NEEDS their own hadphones at school. They need to be wired so they can plug them into the computers. This will be very helpful when they have to do their GL assessments every year at school, and some nice teachers may let them listen to music during IT lessons. School headphones are easily broken and are cheap tacky things.

Pencil Cases

There are a plethora of pencil cases available. So many to choose from. Your child will need one big enough to carry all their stationary. However, you don’t want it to be too big and bulky that it takes up too much of your child’s bag. Here are a few pencil cases to consider:

Yerdol Large Pencil Case

This pencil case should be large enough for your child’s stationary. It comes with several pockets to organise their items neatly. It is robust and washable and has an easy to carry handle.

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Zamasha Clear Pencil Case

When your child sits their GCSE exams they will need to use a clear pencil case. They can always put all their pens, pencils and geometry sets into a clear plastic food bag, but this is a bit more elegant and durable.

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Wellehomi Cute Pencil Case

This adorable pencil case will have your child’s class mates smiling for hours. As the pocket can be opened up from the centre they will have easy access to their pens and pencils. Although it may not be big enough to carry all the odd shaped geometry set. You may need another case for that.

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Pokemon Pencil Case

If your child is a big fan of Pokemon, this might be the perfect pencil case for them. The great thing about this case is that it already comes with pencils and other essential school stationary items. Plus, everything has its place, so it is easy to find the pencils you want, rather than spending half the class time digging through a pencil case trying to find the yellow pencil.

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PE Kits

What can I say about PE Kits? They are the bane of my life. If your child’s school is as fussy on such matters as Sops’ school, your child may find themsleves in detention for having the wrong coloured socks.

Make sure your child has every item for every potential sporting event they’ll be expected to participate in. The school will provide a stupidly long list for the PE kit.

NB Check with the school when your child will be swimming. You don’t want to get them a swimsuit only for them to grow out of it before they start their lessons.

LABEL EVERYTHING!

Make sure your child has a good robust PE kit bag with plastic bags inside to hold muddy shoes. If your child can obtain a locker, this will be valuable to them. Otherwise your child will have to trudge through school dragging their PE kit all day and the PE teachers won’t care. They never do.