The back to school stationery supplies guide

Going back to school after summer has the potential to be an exciting time for children. Especially if they’re going into the new school year prepared. That means making sure your child has all the back to school stationery supplies they need. 

So, before the autumn term starts, let’s help you get your child prepared for the new school year with our essential back to school stationery supplies guide…

Primary school stationery list

Primary school can be a super exciting time for children, particularly if it’s their first year! You can get your child excited and ready for primary school by thinking about all the friends they’ll meet, what their teachers will be like and all things they’re going to learn about. 

Whether your child is going into their first year or they’re carrying on with primary school, it’s good to put together a comprehensive back to school checklist to make sure you’re prepared for September, and they’re prepared for the best school year yet.  

Here’s our quick and easy primary school stationary list:

• HB Pencils

• Rubber erasers

• Colouring pencils

• Washable Markers

• Safety Scissors

• Glue Stick

• Ruler

• Pencil Sharpener

• Exercise Books

• Plastic Wallets or Folders

• School Bag

• Water Bottle

• Lunchbox

• Name Tags/Stickers

• Whiteboard and Whiteboard Marker (optional)

• Maths set (protractors, compasses, etc.) 

Don’t worry if you miss anything on the list for their first day, so long as you get most of them you can always pick up the bits you missed during their first week.

Secondary school stationery list

Secondary school can be a big step up for children and their learning really starts to accelerate here. That might mean that they need some different back to school stationery supplies compared to when they were in primary school.  

Here’s our recommended back to school stationery list for secondary school:

• Blue or black pens

• HB pencils

• Colour pens and highlighters

• Rubber eraser

• Pencil sharpener

• Ruler

• Scientific calculator (a regular calculator won’t be enough for more advanced maths)

• Geometry set (including a compass, protractor, and other mathematical drawing tools)

• Notebooks

• A4 refill pads

• Ring binders/folders

• Correction tape/tipex

• USB flash drive

• Dictionary and thesaurus (optional)

• School bag

• Water bottle

• Lunchbox

• Planner to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and extracurricular activities.

• Whiteboard and whiteboard marker (optional): Some students find it useful for studying and problem-solving. 

As children progress through secondary school they may start to need more stationary and equipment each year they go back to school. So don’t worry about getting absolutely everything if they’re going into their first year of secondary school, just focus on the essentials – teachers will usually let students know early on what they’ll need for the year. 

And if you do buy any stationary your child doesn’t need yet, just keep it safe until the next time they go back to school.

Beyond the back to school essentials

Having the essential back to school stationery is just one part of getting your children ready for the new term. 

While some children love going back to school, for some children it can be a lot. If your child does experience back to school stress, don’t let yourself get too stressed – it can be perfectly normal for your child to feel a bit of apprehension ahead of the start of the new term. That’s why we’ve put together a back to school nerves guide to help them feel at ease for the new school year.  

Of course, children going back to school can be stressful for you too. With so much to remember and get ready for, your children going back to school can get a little overwhelming. To help you keep your mind off it, so you can enjoy the rest of the summer, we’ve put together a back to school checklist to help you prepare.

Getting them back to school ready with tuition

So, you’ve got all their back to school stationery ready and their school uniform is all set. But how ready does your child feel for the year ahead? Are they confident in their maths and English? 

We want to help make this the best school year yet for your child. Helping them build their confidence in their maths and English, or preparing for the GCSE maths, could be the best way to make that happen. 

If your child has still got some time ahead of going back to school, just one hour a week of tuition can help them get a head start on the school year, improve their confidence and maintain their learning over the break. Or if they’ve already gone back to school, some after-school tuition could be just what they need to give them a learning boost. Are you ready to make this the best school year yet?