what might be useful in a year 7's school bag (not the bag itself but contents)

I can’t believe the weight of DS’s school bag, the amount of books etc he has to carry around. There is also no way his sports kit would fit in it too, he has a separate hold-all for that. I guess all schools are different.

When DS started in Y7 he had a separate pencil case at home to prevent the possibility of forgetting it at school. He also carries a spare one in his blazer pocket.

I also second a plastic wallet to put all loose papers in, including letters from school.

DS also has a kagoule stuffed at the bottom of his bag but I don’t know whether it has ever seen the light of day.

We discovered pretty quickly that the lockers are more hassle than they're worth so we didn't keep it. It does mean more has to go in the bag but none of the kids we know wanted to go back and forth to the lockers between school and the bus.

Spares of everything at home is definitely a good idea. Other than that keep it light, mine both carry their bag around all day (different schools). There isn't time to keep going back to their lockers, they are only used for PE kit. Get a photo of their timetable in their phone (and yours). Keys and coins are kept in pockets.

MAke sure she will use the locker. I paid for one for my daughter and she never used it! Mix of dodgy lock and limits on when they can go to her locker meant she just takes her stuff back and forth every day

Not for the bag but we have spares of the pencil case type things at home. Spare science calculator, spare science goggles, spare pens and pencils, spare compass etc. It's not too expensive to have a spare set and it's been used when a school bag has been misplaced, pencil case left behind etc.
Better than having a mad school night panic going round supermarkets trying to put a kit together ready for the next day.

I like labelling everything but my middle DC doesn't want his name on everything so we put a tiny tipex dot on things like calculator and ruler so he can spot which one is his and claim his if things get mixed up.

Agree their bags get so heavy so you don't need to start adding extra stuff just in case. It may have been mentioned already but a plastic wallet type folder is really useful for letters, work sheets etc which otherwise would just shoved in and then ruined/unreadable. And kind of obvious really but a drink bottle that doesn't leak. More essential at secondary where they are carrying their books. In the same vein, make sure the bag is waterproof too.

Eldest dc starting year 7 this year so interested in this!

I'd say mostly a decent water bottle. Ds1's school has banned single use plastic on the premises, which is fantastic. They stopped selling it but don't want children bringing it to school either.

Also a large enough bag for p.e kit. It's probably too late for you check locker sizes but at Ds' school he said they are only big enough for jewellery/ pens etc not even a pair of shoes. He carries it back and forth and lost it a few times so we got a bag big enough to accommodate it when his bag inevitably broke.

She loves organising and planning so it isn't stressing her out at all, she would be more stressed if we WEREN'T thinking about it yet.

I was about o comment on the 'chillout, don't worry' comments.

I remember the first 4 weeks of the summer after juniors worrying that as my parents were very much do things at the last minute I would end up in school with no uniform.

My mum eventually did take me uniform shopping.

I was quite a worrier. I'm a real organiser (I make Monica from friends look like an amature) and leaving things just makes we itchy.

MNHQ

Could this be pinned somewhere? Maybe a 'starting year 7/new school topic? It is such a useful thread.

Student welfare office here - looking after the new year 7s. In our school, part from epi pens/inhalers obviously, students must not carry any medication on them. Also, spray deodorant is strongly discouraged as has caused problems with causing asthma attacks when sprayed around in the PE changing room.

If they have lockers, then a small bag with a spare pair or knickers/pads/wipes is a really good idea, along with the other stuff they won’t need every day.

Ours have all actually used their kagoules. And actual coats in the winter. We can normally get things like blazers dry overnight, but I would surmise that some of those who feel that it's cooler to get absolutely soaking wet on the way to or from school also get to find out how cool it is to spend the rest of the week in a damp and increasingly whiffy blazer.

A homework station at home with separate stationery, glue, celeotape, plain, lined and coloured paper, coloured pencils and selection of pens, pencils and rulers. This way they can keep their pencil case in their school bag at all times.

Lots of black Bic Biros
Pencil and sharpener
Ruler, rubber
Glue stick! I love yr 7s, they all have a, glue stick! Also green pen may be useful for in class corrections but check the colour with the school
Front door key
Water bottle but please one that shuts properly
Books needed for that day
Planner
Girls : sanpro, spare tights

IME by the way once they got to yr 10-11 they had phone in one pocket and chewed Biro in the other and that was all! Maybe just my form...

I would try to find out the score with books for your school. My DC have had text books, exercise books and folders for each subject from year 7. They also have a school academic year diary to carry around and the sports kit on its own (separate bag) can be ridiculously heavy

I would send them with the bare minimum and add to it as needed

Nothing less cool than arriving with a backpack stuffed with half WH smiths

this seems very premature as how on earth do you know how your DC are going to grow in the next 2 years?

Well I have two DS's two years apart. One is going into year 8 and one is going into year 10. DS2 wears the hand me downs. I've bought an age 15 and an age 16 when the sale was on. The likelihood of neither child reaching the normal size for a 16 year old by the time they leave for university at 18 is pretty slim. Particularly since DS2 is already above average height.

You'd hate me, I've bought blazers already for the next two years!

I agree, no harm in getting organised with school stuff, but this seems very premature as how on earth do you know how your DC are going to grow in the next 2 years?

DD (now end of Year 8) hasn't grown at all since Year 6, and DS had a massive growth spurt in Year 8 and went up about 3 sizes overnight.
I wouldn't have predicted either of these things before they even started secondary.

I've just asked my DC and they both said "a new year 7 won't have any books yet, so they probably shouldn't need anything in their bags except their lunch if they are not buying it." They both keep keys and pencil cases in their blazer pockets. It seems that less is very much more as they will either be carrying this or having to stuff it into a locker. Umbrella only needed on wet days; it doesn't matter if they get wet going home so much, so doesn't need to stay in bag.

DD does have a water bottle as part of her lunch; DS uses water fountains.
DD has a stash of sanitary towels (enough to lend a friend) and ibuprofen (she gets bad period pains) in her locker. She finds this easier than them getting buried in her bag.

DS2 won't leave the house without a football and a cricket ball.

A football is a must.

Sorry obviously compasses have bits that can be taken apart not protractors - protractors get used as frisbees!

In fact I bulk bought lots of things before Year 7 so that when they get lost/broken we already have a spare. 30cm rulers seem to get broken by boys in particular for sport. Protractors have bits that can be taken apart (and lost), rubbers are coloured in and poked with compasses and someone is clearly doing a good trade in "acquired" scientific calculators on ebay.