Back to school items for children and teens

Back to school items for children and teens

Back-to-school shopping can quickly turn into a scramble of lost jumpers, leaking bottles, missing maths sets, half-filled pencil cases and last-minute requests at 8pm on a Sunday. This guide brings the essentials together in one place, with practical, age-appropriate picks for children and teens from nursery and Reception through to GCSEs and sixth form.

We have included everyday school-bag staples, useful home-learning extras, organisation tools, revision kit, lunch and water bottle ideas, and a few fun or more distinctive items that pupils may actually want to use. The recommendations are grouped by UK school stage, so parents, carers and teachers can quickly find the right back-to-school items for preschool, EYFS, KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4 and sixth-form students.

Back to school items for children and teens – our recommendations

Back to school items for preschool, nursery and EYFS children

STIKINS Personalised Name Labels

Lost-property piles build up quickly once jumpers, shoes, bottles and lunch boxes start moving between home and nursery. This 120-count STIKINS pack gives families adhesive vinyl labels that stick onto clothing wash-care labels as well as bottles, cups, shoes, bags and other belongings, with no ironing or sewing needed.

Ion8 Kids Leak Proof Water Bottle

A small water bottle has to survive lunch bags, classroom trays and repeated opening by little hands. The 350ml Ion8 kids’ bottle is a compact reusable option with a one-click flip top, secure lock, carry handle and hygienic flip cover, making it a practical daily pick for nursery and EYFS routines.

Smiggle Cheer Junior Backpack

Nursery days often call for a smaller backpack rather than a full school bag. The Smiggle Cheer Junior backpack is listed as a smaller-size option with adjustable shoulder straps, a carry handle and dual drink bottle sleeves, so it should suit lighter EYFS loads such as a book, spare clothes and a bottle.

Yoto Mini Gruffalo & Friends Bundle

Quiet-time stories are easier to offer without handing over a screen. This Yoto Mini 2024 Edition bundle includes the audio player and six Julia Donaldson audio cards, with card-based playback, app control, headphone use, sleep sounds, a pixel display and an OK-to-wake alarm for bedtime or calmer after-nursery routines.

ORSEN Dinosaur LCD Writing Tablet

Mark-making practice can be much less messy when children have a reusable drawing surface beside the paper and crayons. This ORSEN dinosaur LCD writing tablet is an 8.5-inch doodle board for drawing, tracing, pretend writing and letter practice, with a simple draw-and-erase format. It is not for children under 3 because of small parts and a button cell battery warning.

Bentgo Kids Children’s Lunch Box

Packed lunches for nursery and Reception often work better when small portions are separated rather than piled into one tub. The Bentgo Kids lunch box has five compartments, two child-friendly latches and a removable tray, with portioning recommended for ages 3 to 7. Hand washing the outer shell helps preserve the seal.

Back to school items for KS1 children

Kasgo Kids 13L Primary School Backpack

Reading folders, water bottles and extra layers soon outgrow a tiny nursery bag. The Kasgo 13L backpack gives KS1 pupils a lightweight primary-school rucksack with space for A4 folders, bottle holders and a chest strap, so it should suit Year 1 and Year 2 children carrying everyday school kit.

STAEDTLER Noris Club Colouring Pencils

Topic work, maps, labels and home projects are easier when children have a proper set of colours to hand. This STAEDTLER Noris Colour pack includes 12 pre-sharpened assorted colouring pencils with a hexagonal shape, rich leads and high break-resistance, making it a sensible backup set for primary school bags or homework drawers.

Pritt Glue Stick Pack

Cutting, sticking, scrapbooks and last-minute homework posters all use more glue than parents expect. This Pritt pack contains five 43g glue sticks for paper, cardboard, felt, photos and cotton, with a solvent-free formula made with 97% natural ingredients including water. A useful home supply for KS1 craft and topic work.

Smiggle Pop Out Pencil Case

A gadget-style pencil case can make ordinary stationery feel far more exciting for younger primary pupils. The Smiggle Budz pop-out case has two main compartments, a removable mini drawer, integrated pen holders, a pop-up pencil sharpener, a fold-out calculator and a personalisable timetable inside.

Learning Resources Botley 2.0 Activity Set

Early coding feels more hands-on when children can programme a robot rather than sit with another screen. Botley 2.0 is aimed at ages 5+ and uses a remote programmer, coding cards, tiles and obstacle pieces, with up to 150 coding steps. The 78-piece set requires 5 AAA batteries, which are not included.

ZEBRA Doodler’z Pastel Gel Pens

Pastel gel pens give KS1 children a small treat for cards, doodling, journals and careful presentation work without needing a huge pen set. This Zebra Doodler’z pack contains five multicolour pastel gel pens with 1.0mm points, water-based pigment ink, triangular grips, pocket clips and a reusable case.

Back to school items for KS2 children

Helix Oxford Maths Set

Geometry work is much easier when pupils have the right measuring tools in one tin. The Helix Oxford Premium Maths Set includes a metal compass, 30cm folding ruler, 180° protractor, 45° and 60° set squares, pencil, sharpener, eraser, lettering stencil and timetable/maths fact sheet, giving KS2 pupils a proper kit for angles, shape and drawing tasks.

BIC 4 Colours Original Pens

Colour-coding notes, corrections and reminders can quickly fill a pencil case with separate pens. This pack gives pupils three BIC 4 Colours Original retractable ballpoint pens, each with blue, red, green and black ink, medium 1.0mm ballpoints, the classic clip and click buttons, and refillable cartridges for everyday school writing.

Sistema Bento Box To Go Lunch Box

Packed lunches for older primary pupils are easier to manage when sandwiches, fruit and snacks stay separated. This 1.25L Sistema Bento Box To Go has movable compartments, easy-locking clips, a flexible lid seal and a seal-tight yoghurt or fruit pot. It is BPA free, top-rack dishwasher safe and suitable for microwave use without the lid.

Minecraft Filled Pencil Case and Stationery Set

Gaming-themed stationery can still be practical when it arrives as a complete, school-bag-ready set. This official Minecraft pencil case set includes a filled pouch, notepad, pencils, sticky notes and a colour-changing pen, with a green Creeper-style design that should appeal to KS2 pupils who want something more distinctive than plain stationery.

12×12 Times Table Pop Fidget Board

Times-table practice can feel less like another worksheet when pupils have something tactile to use. This WaelthKey 12×12 multiplication pop board combines a single-sided multiplication chart with a rainbow silicone pop fidget design, giving KS2 children a compact tool for rehearsing multiplication facts at home, in the car or during short revision bursts.

TOPModel Coded Diary with Sound

A diary with a keypad lock can make private writing, lists and doodles feel more appealing outside lessons. The Depesche TOPModel Girl Power diary has a number-code cover, sound when unlocked, a model motif, 80 finely lined illustrated pages and a 20.5 x 15.5 x 3.5cm format. It is not suitable for children under six.

Back to school items for KS3 students

Casio fx-83GTCW+ Scientific Calculator Black

Secondary maths quickly moves beyond the four-function calculator. The Casio fx-83GTCW+ is a UK-version scientific calculator with arithmetic, trigonometry, logarithms, exponential and hyperbolic calculations, plus statistics functions including mean, standard deviation, quartiles and regression. It also includes tables of values and simulation tools such as dice roll, coin toss, number line and unit circle.

Helix Oxford Complete Stationery Set

Arriving at lessons with the basics already in one clear case saves a lot of pencil-case rummaging. This 13.5-inch Helix Oxford set includes black, blue, red and green ballpoint pens, two black permanent pens, five HB pencils, a 30cm shatter-resistant ruler, geometry tools, a sharpener and an eraser in a clear PVC zipped case.

Eastpak Padded Pak’r Backpack

Changing rooms, lockers and lesson moves ask more of a school bag than a simple primary rucksack. The Eastpak Padded Pak’r in Army Olive is a 24-litre everyday backpack with a roomy main zipped compartment, a zip-fastening front pocket, padded back panel and adjustable shoulder straps. Its 40 x 30 x 18cm size and 0.38kg weight make it a practical secondary-school option for books, kit and daily essentials.

Tile by Life360 Mate Bluetooth Tracker

Keys, bags and water bottles are easy to misplace once pupils start moving between classrooms and after-school activities. This black Tile by Life360 Mate attaches to everyday items, works with iOS and Android smartphones, rings from the app, can make a silenced phone ring, and has a stated Bluetooth range of 350 feet.

QUMOX Digital Cube Timer

Homework and revision can feel less open-ended when the next work block has a clear finish point. The QUMOX digital cube timer starts preset 5, 10, 30 or 60-minute countdowns when flipped, or custom 1-99 minute sessions in manual mode. It is rechargeable by USB-C and offers vibration, low-volume or high-volume alerts.

Pukka Pad Bloom B5 Project Book

Separate subjects are easier to manage when notes, homework and quick lists are not scattered across loose pads. The Pukka Pad Bloom B5 project book has 200 pages, 100 sheets of 80gsm paper, spiral binding and four repositionable dividers with tabs. A random floral colour is supplied, with blue, black and cream designs listed.

Back to school items for KS4 students

STABILO BOSS Original Pastel Highlighters

Revision notes can look calmer when key terms are marked in softer colours rather than bright neon. This STABILO BOSS Original Pastel pack contains six chisel-tip highlighters in Milky Yellow, Creamy Peach, Pink Blush, Lilac Haze, Hint of Mint and Touch of Turquoise, giving GCSE students a useful set for marking notes, handouts and exam-practice points.

Oxford Campus A4 Refill Pads

GCSE courses generate loose notes, essay plans, science write-ups and maths working that need filing by subject. This Oxford Campus pack contains three A4 refill pads, each with 300 pages of 8mm ruled Optik Paper+ with a margin. The pages are four-hole punched for ring binders and lever arch files, and the pads are Scribzee enabled.

Zebra Mildliner Double Ended Highlighters

Colour-coded study pages are easier to build when one pen can handle both highlighting and finer written detail. This Zebra Mildliner set contains 15 double-ended markers with a chisel tip for broad or narrow strokes and a fine tip for sharper lines. The soft, mild ink suits revision notes, planners, diagrams and study summaries.

Rocketbook Core Reusable Smart Notebook

Students who like handwritten notes but do not want piles of loose paper may find a reusable notebook more manageable. This black Rocketbook Core is the Executive 15 x 22.4cm dotted version, with 36 reusable pages, spiral binding, a waterproof cover, app-connected scanning and an included erasable gel pen. Pages wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Anker Nano Power Bank, Mini Portable Charger with Built-In Foldable USB-C Connector

Long school days, bus journeys and after-school revision can leave students relying on a nearly flat phone. The Anker Nano Power Bank has a 5,000mAh capacity, 22.5W output, dual USB-C ports and a foldable built-in USB-C connector, with a 0.6m USB-C to USB-C cable included for recharging or cable-based use.

Pilot FriXion Erasable Rollerball Pen Set

Planning pages, flashcards and revision notes often need correcting without crossings-out everywhere. This Pilot FriXion Ball Clicker set contains four retractable 0.7mm erasable rollerball pens in black, blue, red and green, using thermo-sensitive ink. The pens are refillable and include pocket clips, but the erasable ink is not recommended for official documents.

Back to school items for sixth form students

Casio fx-991CW+ Scientific Calculator

Higher-level maths and science work needs more than a basic secondary-school calculator. The Casio fx-991CW+ UK model adds functions for trigonometry, logarithms, complex numbers, vectors, matrices, statistics, equations and tables of values, making it a strong sixth-form option for students taking maths, further maths, physics, chemistry or statistics.

Collins 2026-2027 A5 Academic Planner

Coursework dates, free periods, open days and revision blocks are easier to manage when the whole week is visible on paper. This Collins 2026-2027 mid-year academic planner runs from July 2026 to August 2027, with an A5 hard cover, weekly layout, ribbon marker, elastic closure, expandable back pocket, timetables, notes pages and FSC-certified paper.

Amazon Basics 15.6 Inch Laptop Sleeve

Moving a laptop between home, sixth form, library and study spaces is less risky with a sleeve inside a backpack. This grey Amazon Basics 15.6-inch laptop sleeve has a soft shell, ultra-slim design, top-opening access and 40 x 29 x 2cm dimensions, with sizing intended for laptops and ultrabooks with 15 to 15.6-inch screens.

Soundcore by Anker Q20i Noise Cancelling Headphones

Study periods, bus journeys and shared workspaces can be easier to handle with over-ear headphones that reduce background noise. The Soundcore Q20i model offers hybrid active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.0, transparency mode, 40 hours of battery life with ANC on, fast charging, app EQ customisation and a 3.5mm AUX option for Hi-Res certified audio.

Anker 341 USB-C Hub 7-in-1

Newer laptops and tablets often leave students short of ports just when they need to connect a display, memory card or USB drive. The Anker 341 USB-C hub is a 7-in-1 adaptor with 4K@30Hz HDMI, SD and microSD card connectivity, USB-A and USB-C data ports, and pass-through charging with Power Delivery.

Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s Bluetooth Keyboard

Typing longer essays or coursework on a tablet can be easier with a separate compact keyboard. The Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s is a slim Bluetooth keyboard in a UK QWERTY layout, with Easy-Switch pairing for up to three devices, scooped low-profile keys, customisable Fn shortcuts through Logi Options+ and a stated three-year battery life.

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Back to school resources for students and parents

• The Department for Education and YoungMinds back-to-school guide offers practical advice for parents and teachers on routines, worries, preparation and helping pupils feel ready for the new school year.
• The Children’s Commissioner’s Back Into School resources include guidance for families on attendance, working with schools and local authorities, and getting the right support when a child is struggling to return.
• The NHS advice on whether a child is too ill for school is a useful page for parents and schools to share at the start of term, covering common illnesses, anxiety, tummy aches, headaches and when to work with school rather than avoid attendance.
• GOV.UK’s adolescent vaccination programme briefing explains the NHS vaccinations delivered in secondary schools and is useful for form tutors, pastoral teams and parents preparing for consent forms and school immunisation visits.
• Turn2us has a clear back-to-school support page covering help with uniform costs, free school meals, school transport, childcare and grants for families under financial pressure.
• Parentkind’s Be School Ready hub provides practical guidance for families starting primary or secondary school, with advice schools can share during welcome meetings, induction events and parent newsletters.
• Anna Freud’s Moving Up! resources include a free animation, teacher toolkit, lesson activities and assembly plan to help Year 6 and Year 7 pupils manage anxiety and prepare for the move to secondary school.
• Place2Be offers parent-friendly advice on starting secondary school, including managing the practical and emotional jump from primary routines to a much larger school environment.
• Mentally Healthy Schools has a useful transition resource with a video and fact sheet to help teachers support pupils returning after long holidays or coping with key school changes.
• The Education Endowment Foundation’s Working with Parents guidance gives schools evidence-informed recommendations on improving home-school communication, supporting home learning and building constructive relationships with parents and carers.
• Oak National Academy provides free lesson resources, quizzes, worksheets and videos from KS1 to KS4, making it useful for teachers planning September lessons and for pupils who need homework, revision or catch-up support.
• The National Literacy Trust’s free teaching resources include reading activities, lesson ideas and literacy materials for early years, primary and secondary pupils.
• The National Year of Reading schools and early years toolkit offers downloadable calendars, self-reflection guides, briefing slides and activity resources to help schools build reading for pleasure into the new academic year.
• NSPCC Learning provides free classroom resources and lesson plans for early years, primary, secondary and support settings, covering safeguarding topics such as bullying, relationships, online safety and abuse prevention.
• The UK Safer Internet Centre offers online safety advice for young people, parents, carers, teachers and school staff, including curriculum resources, helplines, harmful content reporting and guidance on emerging digital risks.
• Internet Matters is useful for parent briefings and pastoral support, with age-by-age online safety guides, advice on social media, gaming, AI safety, parental controls and family conversations about digital life.
• Food – a fact of life provides free resources for teaching children aged 3-16 about healthy eating, cooking, food origins and nutrition, with materials for early years, primary, secondary and whole-school food education.
• For KS4 and sixth-form students, the National Careers Service and Amazing Apprenticeships offer guidance, activities, posters, quizzes and parent resources on post-16 choices, apprenticeships, technical education and future pathways.