School bag

I always recommend getting a cheap (possibly supermarket) backpack for the first couple of weeks. Then getting what she wants when she's found her "people". At DC's school different crowds seem to go for different things.

I meant Vans not Cans!

Where I live Hype, Superdry, Cans and Ffjalraven are popular. In my DDs school shoulder bags have never been popular.

Smuggle is definite NO in secondary school

Good brands in DD’s secondary are:

VS Pink
Superdry
River Island
Hype
Hollister

If I’m doubt, use plain backpack for couple of weeks then let her scout what ‘in’ bag she likes.

Ds had Northface for year 7 and 8. Not cheap at £80 ish but they are fab. Books, rugby kit, laptop, water bottle plus more all housed comfortably! He’s having another for year 9. Apart from Northface, the other brands are Hype (he had them for year 5 and 6, I don’t rate them for carrying a lot they both developed holes in the corners, plus only one separate compartment), Cath Kidson, Superdry and Kipling. Many of the older girls are now ditching the fashion bags for more sensible to carry laptops etc.

Stationery wise, DS and the rest of the boys in class use Frixion pens, best deal was getting different joblots / bundles from an ebay seller " hokejist76" , as seller's prices are very reasonable compared to buying thrm from supermarkets. Pencils : mechanical pencils only.

DD2 is year 8, started in year 7 with a superdry rucksack but now it's oversized river island handbags. I wasn't keen but as all her friends had them I gave in. So much peer pressure as they get older to follow the crowd

DTDs have just finished Year 7. They had Superdry rucksacks which have lasted really well. DTD1 asked for a Hype backpack for her birthday, which my DSis bought for her, so she'll use that in Year 8. DTD2 may stick with her Superdry bag - it will last at least another year, I reckon.

Hype backpacks or Fjällräven Kanken are the thing here.

DS’s school only allow plain black or navy rucksacks. So we’ve settled on well padded (laptop) Wenger rucksack.

If you and your DD like Smiggle, then Paperchase might be a good slightly more grown up option. Yr 7 girls still love a pencil case and a gel pen and a highlighter, if not the colours of Smiggle and Paperchase seem to offer fun stuff which is just a little bit less lairy!

Absolutely no Smiggle at secondary around here, mostly Ffjalraven & a few Hype

Useful tip is to buy LOTS of stationery in advance and keep spares at home to dish out - lots of shops sell it cheap in 'back to school sales' to you can pick it up at little expense - get several 15cm rulers, protractors, Pritt sticks, pens etc. Quite useful to have a school pencil case set of stuff and another home set,mso the school pencil case remains in the bag and doesn't get left at home. Also get lots of printer ink and printer paper as there's nothing worse than needing to orint homework and not being able to.

Round here, rucksacks are the thing - superdry, hype, or something plain. Bear in mind that a plain black or navy rucksack might be hard to find amongst 200 others on a bag rack, so choosing a slightly different pattern if it's allowed is a good idea.

Superdry are popular here.
You might find you'll need to go for practicality rather than fashion. My dd (S2) has to carry so much stuff (including a chromebook) I couldn't believe how heavy her bag is!

In a comp you probably wouldn't go far wrong if you bought any backpack from JD Sports

Adidas and Nike are popular at dd's comp.

Smiggle is out at the end of Y5 in DD’s primary. Lots of Y6 girls already start with the huge handbags and will use that in secondary.

We insisted on a backpack, DD has to walk 30 minutes and has to carry a lot, our neighbour’s girl goes there and she showed us the content of her bag.

We settled for a fashionable laptop bag, we see these a lot as well. Nicely padded and decent straps but not sporty as an Adidas or Superdry. Also DD goes to a girls only school, that makes it different as well.

We got a list for stationary, maths equipment and dictionary already, quite a lot of stuff plus the teachers of the other subjects will give out requirements during the first week. We had to buy an Art Kit but that comes with its own bag.

If you have a local bf page I would go and ask there.

I would go with buying a non offensive plain backpack to start with and then let her choose a new bag at half term or for christmas if she wants something fancy. At my school most of the girls carry large handbags - I think it's ridiculous but if that is what they are all carrying she might get her heart set on one. Some of my students have lovely Smiggle stationery but the majority have a the bare basics scattered between blazer pockets and their huuuuge handbags :D

Smiggle would probably be ok in Y7 - it seems to be more Y8 that they get more conscious about this sort of stuff.

I would recommend asking someone who already has a girl (not a boy as girl/boy bag fashions will differ) at the school what most people use. Some of the recommendations on this thread are certainly not in favour at DC's school, so this must be school or at least area dependent.

Also, find out your school's locker policy. If your school has a no bags in corridor policy, the sort of bag you need will be totally different to if they have no lockers at all.

I agree to take plain stationary only - school should give you a list (or sell it).

I agree to start off with a bag you already have then upgrade a couple if weeks in

Dd took a Adidas rucksack which she now uses for pe kit. Her main bag is a cath kidston rucksack. Not bad price in sale and has lasted well.

I see girls on way to work at other schools with kipling bags which look good to me but Dd says aren't cool at her school

Ps re stationery buy basic stuff as they borrow each other's and don't always return. DD's fountain pen was borrowed and she never got it back as no one owned up who'd borrowed it. Highlighters are great as lots of highlighting texts, fun rubbers and sharpeners but normal pens and pencils. Pritt stick is a must too as DD goes through lots and lots.

North Face and Hype are the big “in” brands of the moment here (central belt)

Smiggle definitely not for secondary school DD is starting primary and has half the bloody shop

I bought a pretty fashionable bag for DD for year 7 but after few weeks it was clear it was too small and not comfy so bought her an Animal rucksack that was roomy, had space for a water bottle at the outside to save making books wet inside, and was comfy with big padded straps. She loves it so much we bought another one for year 9 and she'll have the same for year 10. I would say most of the girls had basic plain coloured or some colour like the Animal rucksacks in year 7. Now though it's all arm bags which are not comfortable at all and can't fit much in.

In the case of stationery, there's a lot of borrowing of stationery (and not always getting it back) etc so she should keep her nice stationery for home use.