I can’t believe we’re already over halfway through the summer holidays already – the time has just flown by. Before you know it – the kids will be back to school. It’s that time of year when I have to start thinking about all the various bits and pieces the boys will need ready for the start of September. My youngest is joining his older brother in high school this year so having been through the process once already, I have a good idea how best to organise yourself.

If you also have kids starting secondary school have a read through some of my top tips for back to school shopping.

Top tips for back-to-school shopping

Find the uniform and equipment list on the school website

This is my first go-to, as most schools will already have a handy checklist of items you need for the start of the school year. From uniform and PE kit to what stationery equipment is needed, your best bet is to check on the school website to see what they recommend. Note this down so you have a checklist to work from.

Work your way through the checklist by order of importance

Kids always seem to have huge growth spurts over the summer. I order my list and have things like name labels, stationery, rucksacks, etc. at the top of the list as these can be bought at any time without having to worry that they’ll grow out of them. Items like uniforms, PE kits, and school shoes will appear near the end of my list to be bought towards the latter part of the summer holidays.

Buy what you can online

Kids hate traipsing around the shops – fact! I try to minimise this as much as possible by buying what I can online. You can always return anything that isn’t the right size, but make sure you leave yourself enough time to swap items or look elsewhere for them.

Back-to-school essentials

Very.co.uk offers a wide range of back-to-school items to buy online, which makes school shopping much easier. Here are some of the items we’ve got from Very this year.

School shoes

We usually head directly to a store for school shoes, but Very stocks school shoes from a number of different brands, so there are lots to choose from (Clarks, Start-rite, Kickers and more). Both boys opted to go for shoes from Start-rite. They had Start-rite shoes last year, and we were really impressed with their durability. My eldest found the Rhino Sherman shoes so comfy that he has chosen to go for the same style again this year.

If you’re unsure of your child’s shoe size and want to buy online, you can usually find a shoe size calculator on the brand’s website where you can input their measurements.

• Start-rite shoe size calculator (they also have a very handy app that uses your phone camera and AI to measure for you)
• Clarks shoe size calculator

Football boots

These are a must for PE in secondary school as they will be playing Rugby or Football in a muddy field. My eldest liked the look of these football boots from the Messi range, and they look like they will do the job. I just hope he won’t grow out of them too quickly!

Rain Jackets

We all know how unpredictable the UK weather is, so even though my boys will be wearing their blazers, they will also need a jacket. Its usually relatively mild still in September, so we’ve gone for a couple of waterproof rain jackets from Regatta and will switch to heavier jackets as we move towards winter.

The jackets are wind-resistant and, most importantly, waterproof, so I’m hopeful they will keep them warm and dry.

Don’t forget the smaller items!

Aside from the main things like uniforms and school shoes needed for back-to-school, some equipment and items can be easily overlooked.

Here are some of the additional items you may need:

• Gum shield for PE
• Kit bag to hold their PE gear
• Water bottle
• Protractor and compass
• Headphones for use with mobile devices
• English Dictionary
• Combination lock for school locker

One last thing – don’t forget the name tags so you can label everything in the hope that items won’t get mislaid! We use a mixture of Snappy Tags which I have been using for years and labels from Stikins.

With a bit of pre-planning and organisation, back-to-school shopping needn’t be stressful. I find that if I leave enough time and do a bit at a time, I don’t get overwhelmed. Very.co.uk can easily be your one-stop shop for back-to-school shopping. From uniforms, school shoes and rucksacks to trainers, football boots, water bottles and jackets – Very.co.uk has it all.

Related posts:

Start-Rite School shoes: durable, comfortable and perfectly fitted Treads: Indestructible school shoes with a 12-month guarantee 5 tips for savvier family shopping Back to School must-haves: Secondary School edition