The beginning of the school year has a habit of arriving much faster than expected. One minute we’re brushing sand out of hair and the next, we’re suddenly panic buying school uniforms and shoes with two days to go before the start of school! And don’t get me started on the frantic treasure hunt to find the lunchboxes, tags and the endless list of items we’ve decided to store in a very secret location that not even we can remember!

So, rather than relying on memory, or the increasingly alarming collection of notes on the kitchen counter, we’ve put together a practical back-to-school checklist. Work through it gradually with the hope that the first morning might feel slightly less like an emergency.

Two Weeks Before School

Check what still fits

Children have an inconvenient habit of growing over the summer thanks to all that mix of vitamin D and TV (no judgement here), so try on uniforms, school shoes, trainers, coats and PE kits while there is still time to replace anything that has become unexpectedly snug.

☐ Try on the full school uniform
☐ Check school shoes and trainers
☐ Check the PE kit and swimming kit
☐ Replace missing buttons and broken zips
☐ Order anything that needs to come from the school supplier

Take inventory before buying more

Before ordering an entirely new set of school supplies, gather everything left over from last term. You may already own 14 pencils, three unopened glue sticks and enough erasers to see everyone through university.

☐ Check the school’s latest supplies list
☐ Test pens, pencils and colouring supplies
☐ Check the school bag and pencil case
☐ Replace worn-out or missing stationery
☐ Wash and reuse anything still in good condition

Confirm the important details

Check the school calendar or ask the trusty class Whatsapp group for any important dates you need to be aware of in the first couple of weeks (the rest of the term calendar can wait):

☐ Confirm the first day and start time
☐ Check drop-off and collection arrangements
☐ Add term dates and holidays to the family calendar
☐ Confirm transport or school-bus arrangements
☐ Check after-school clubs and childcare
☐ Make sure the school has the correct contact details

One Week Before School

Label absolutely everything

If an item can be carried, removed or abandoned in a playground, put a name on it. This includes the obvious things and the less obvious things to avoid those trips to the lost and found corner…

☐ Label uniforms and coats
☐ Label shoes, trainers and PE kits
☐ Label the school bag and pencil case
☐ Label the lunchbox and water bottle
☐ Add a spare label inside anything particularly expensive

Check the lunch equipment

Open every forgotten lunchbox and bottle with extreme caution… preferably near an open window.

Check that everything closes properly, washes easily and fits inside the school bag. It is also worth filling bottles with water and leaving them upside down over the sink before trusting them beside a library book.

☐ Wash the lunchbox and snack containers
☐ Check lids, seals and hinges
☐ Test the water bottle for leaks
☐ Make sure your child can open everything independently
☐ Plan a few reliable lunches and snacks

If anything needs replacing, see our guides to lunchboxes we’d actually send to school and kids’ water bottles that won’t soak the school bag.

The Weekend Before

Prepare for the return of school lunches

After weeks of more relaxed summer eating, the dreaded daily school lunch prep can come as something of a shock. Spend a little time planning a handful of lunches and snacks your children will actually eat, then add the ingredients to the weekly shop.

There is no need to create a miniature grazing board at 7am. A few dependable options on rotation will make mornings much easier, and are less likely to come home looking exactly as they did when they left.

☐ Plan three or four easy lunch combinations
☐ Check the school’s rules on nuts and other allergens
☐ Add lunch and snack ingredients to the shopping list
☐ Stock up on reliable cupboard snacks
☐ Wash and portion fruit or vegetables where possible
☐ Prepare or freeze anything that can be made in advance
☐ Check that ice packs are clean and ready to use
☐ Ask your child what they will genuinely eat

Get the practical jobs out of the way

This is the moment for haircuts, trimmed nails and any other small jobs you don’t want to remember at 7:42 on the first morning.

☐ Book hair appointments
☐ Check whether medications or inhalers are in date
☐ Update the school on allergies or medical needs
☐ Prepare sunscreen, hats or rainwear for the season
☐ Check that school forms and permissions have been completed

Create a school landing zone

Choose one place for school bags, shoes, coats and paperwork. It doesn’t need to be worthy of an interiors magazine; it just avoids you getting your 10000 steps in before 8am in search of those annoying white shoes…

☐ Choose a place for school bags
☐ Keep school shoes together
☐ Create a spot for letters and forms
☐ Put frequently used items within children’s reach
☐ Keep spare labels and a pen nearby

Talk about the return to school

Even children who are excited may feel slightly unsettled about returning. Talk through what the first day will look like, including who will take them, where they will go and who will collect them.

☐ Talk through the first-day routine
☐ Discuss anything they feel worried about
☐ Remind them of friends, teachers or activities they love
☐ Agree on the collection plan
☐ Keep the conversation reassuring and low-key

The Night Before

This is not the time to discover that the only clean school shirt is still in the washing machine.

☐ Lay out the complete uniform
☐ Pack the school bag
☐ Pack the PE kit if needed
☐ Prepare or plan lunch and snacks
☐ Fill the water bottle, or leave it ready beside the sink
☐ Put shoes, coats and bags by the door
☐ Check the weather forecast
☐ Set alarms
☐ Charge any school devices
☐ Get everyone to bed at a sensible time (or try to…been there, done that and failed miserably but hey its the thought that counts!)

The First Morning

Keep breakfast simple, allow more time than you think you need and avoid introducing any ambitious new family routines.

☐ Wake up early enough to avoid rushing
☐ Have a familiar breakfast
☐ Check lunchboxes and water bottles
☐ Apply sunscreen if needed
☐ Do a final bag check
☐ Take the first-day photograph
☐ Leave before everyone becomes annoyed

And that’s it. They may still forget a jumper, refuse breakfast or announce an urgent need for cardboard at the front door, but at least the important things should be covered.

Good luck. You’ve got this!