The ultimate back to school guide

School summer holidays are in full swing, but before you know it, it’ll be back to school time, so you need to make sure your children are physically and mentally prepared for the new school year.

Here’s our back to school checklist to help you get your kids ready.

Uniform

Kids can often shoot up in height over the summer holidays, so it’s important to do a check of all your kids’ uniform items. Are there pieces that can be handed down? Once you’ve decided what you can keep and what you need to buy new, it’s time to shop.

September weather can be changeable so layers are a great way to adjust to the changing temperatures of the new academic year. A decent jumper or cardigan will make sure your child is both comfortable and looks smart and having the option of short or long sleeve shirt or blouse will help them with any change in temperature. If it starts to feel cold you can also add a vest underneath for extra warmth.

A decent pair of shoes is a must for the school year.  We have a new range of school shoes, available in a range of sizes and styles, from Velcro to lace-up fastenings, all crafted with quality in mind to ensure they are both long-lasting and comfortable.

Accessories

It’s not just uniform you’ll need to do a check on. All those little extras like kit bags, lunch boxes, stationery and maths equipment like calculators and geometry sets might be needed for the new school year. Often pieces will have gone missing out of bags so it’s worth checking to see what your kids have and what they need.

Life admin

Before your kids go back to school, it’s also a good idea to get them up to date with appointments with the dentist, get their sight checked at the opticians and a back to school haircut so they’re all ready for the new school year.

Now you have your children physically ready to go back to school, it’s time to check in on how they’re feeling about it.

Having had six weeks off, it’s natural for children to be feeling nervous about going back to school. They might be going off to a new school as well and be worried about making new friends.

Recognising and helping with anxiety

Smaller children might not be able to express how they’re feeling in words, so look out for changes in their behaviour, are they quieter than normal, or more clingy? They might tell you they have a tummy ache or headache – these could be signs that they’re worried about going back to school.

Have a chat with your children about how they’re feeling. Ask them if they’re worried about anything but also what they might be looking forward to. Do they have a favourite subject, or friends they haven’t seen for a long time?

Teenagers can sometimes be harder to talk to. They’ll be getting to the stage where they have to pick exam subjects and really start thinking about their future. If they don’t want to talk to you, charities like Young Minds have lots of resources including blogs to help young people and parents with mental health support.

If you have a child starting a new school, be that moving up to secondary school or if you’ve moved house, start making plans on how they’re going to get there. Will they want to take the bus, walk or will you be dropping them off? Try doing a dry run of the route so they’re not so nervous when it comes to the day.

The most important thing is to let them know that it’s normal to have a few worries about going back to school and you had the same feelings when you were their age. Within a couple of weeks they’ll be back into a routine feeling more settled.