1st time boarding, what to pack?

mine liked to take their own duvets and pillow too. As well as the mattress topper of course.
Check what electrics they are allowed in their rooms. He may want a fan if it's warm when he goes. DC's boarding houses/bedrooms were always really hot.

Pot noodles, Nesquick, multi bags of crisps, biscuits.

@mitogoshi thanks- yes- school requires 2 pairs of sports trainers plus rugby boots and he'll also take casual trainers and sliders.

I think we're getting there.

I've been told an umbrella is social death for some reason. He may well change his mind on the first day of torrential rain with a 10 min walk to breakfast but as you say.... Amazon can deal with that.

Also need indoor and outdoor sports shoes plus maybe one casual paid. Not 4

They are allowed out so can procure more toiletries if needed.

Amazon prime is your friend for all bits forgotten!

My advice is to get sewing if there's a central laundry system! You need to name everything including socks, loops to they are strung together.

Thankfully my dc's boarding had them do their own laundry, saving my feared sewing of labels

thanks @Mammamiammamia and @SeaToSki

School provide sheets but I need to bring the rest- that's all done including mattress topper. He is allowed posters etc. for a pinboard but the boys don't seem to bother - that said I think he's taking his football calendar- although I did ask him if he was prepared to take the risk of it being defaced by a rabid Gunners fan. He has a hanging washbag for his toiletries but a small caddy probably a good idea too. I have bought Mitchum deodorant to insure against less than daily application!

We actually live quite close to the school so I guess anything he needs we can drop in there the next weekend. It''s hard to know exactly what he'll want until he's "living it" so to speak.

The AirTags are being charged- thinking school bag and sports bag. The guitar will have to fend for itself.

And buy charging cables and chargers in really awful colours or wrap vile coloured duct tape around them…no one will ‘borrow’ them and he will be able to find them easily

Multi block surge protector with a long flex as the sockets are always in really inconvenient spots in the room, and there are never enough (extension cords are almost always banned but surge protectors arent)

a foam mattress topper for his bed - they are usually like sleeping on a cardboard box wrapped in a shower curtain and an extra pillow

do the school provide sheets and a duvet?

something to carry his toiletries to and from the toilets/shower rooms - and tell him to NEVER leave anything in the shower rooms/toilets as they will be used and abused by the others

is he allowed a few posters for his walls?

a couple of small comfy cushions for his bed and a fleece blanket to chill in when he has some down time

more socks than everyone thinks he need…they disappear

a small bluetooth speaker

good noise cancelling headphones

ear plugs

water bottle

Strict instructions to video chat you once a week at a certain time

A little plastic crate for putting the toiletries in comes in handy.
Shoe polish- one of those instant shine ones
More socks than you'll ever imagine they will need
A pack of cards
A lint roller

These are what I've just added to the pile!

This is really helpful and I have most of the stuff mentioned and have just gone upstairs and culled the pile of home clothes!

Is there anything else really random that was super useful to your dc as new boarders (for reference DS, Year 9) or that I might not have thought about?

Something someone told me today: coat hangers.

Oh I forgot about charging cables - more than you ever think he’ll use! They seem to become instant communal property and at the same time they can never find one to use.

Name chargers plugs and cables (i got some 3d printed names that attach to them), battery packs. Send him with some stick on/iron on labels or sharpies for things you send on later. Airtags on anything precious - I'm constantly amazed at the incredibly valuable items that seem to just get lost around DD's school - I always know where her computer and musical instruments are because I've tagged them.

No matter how well you label, he will come back with a load of other people's (labelled) stuff and only half of his own.

Do not send anything which cannot withstand the brutalities of the school wash.

He will want some pictures/posters/photos to decorate his room/space.

Mine took a goldfish in its tank once. He also forgot to pack underpants.

Agree with others re casual clothes. Extra ties are handy. You might need a smart/casual outfit for restaurant and theatre trips. Definitely a mattress topper needed. Also bits and bobs to make the dorm more personal- posters, fairy lights, a plant, that kind of thing. And yes, label EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING!!!

The other thing I have done is put an airtag in the laptop case and sports bag. That way, if he dumps them somewhere and can't remember where, he can track them down.

Don't forget to name chargers too!

As a house parent, I'd just like to reiterate LABEL LABEL LABEL! Even if underwear will go in a mesh bag (please label this too!), these sometimes open in the wash and then anything unlabelled ends up in lost property.

You cannot label things enough-especially bedding-the way our laundry folds the fitted sheets/duvets etc means we have to hunt through them to find names so anything you can do to make that job easier will be so appreciated!

In terms of him being able to stay organised, I'd say less stuff is better.

Definitely. He probably won't have much storage for clothes either. If you have any photos of dorms/studies, take a look at the storage provided. I guarantee it won't be a lot.

I agree that is WAY too much. Have you asked about the laundry system? At our school they can put stuff in every day (goes into laundry sacks in the house) and it comes back the next day.

In terms of him being able to stay organised, I'd say less stuff is better.

Is the school in a town? If not and shopping won't be regular, a huge box of cereal and half a trunk of soba noodles seems to be the thing. (Our school is in town so daily snack runs no problem).

Don't forget to label the mesh bag!

He won't need that many casual clothes - they only get to wear them on Saturday afternoons and Sundays usually (although this varies from school to school). When I boarded I had a tuck box that could be filled with snacks (as a girl in the 80s/90s I had none as I was on a permanent diet!), but boys are different and if my DS was going to board he'd want the whole thing filled with protein bars and shakes. Did they provide you with a uniform list? The school wash will usually wash their uniform shirts, undies and sports kit, so just send however many sets they say he'll need.

For sports, no doubt there is a list but my DD's school says 1 pair trainers and we send two because one inevitably ends up soaked and then they have sport again the next day. I'd rather she didn't get trench foot!

Re shirts- do they do chapel on Sundays? If so he may need 7.

Don't send loads of casual clothes as they often don't have a lot of space to keep them. My DD will be taking a pair of jeans, one pair jogging bottoms and probably 2 pjs, plus 2 jumpers/hoodies and maybe 4 t-shirts, one coat. One pair of casual trainers, flip flops for the shower, uggs for slobbing about. Maybe 7 pairs of "normal" socks (others as part of uniform and sports kit). No dressing gown as no one wears them- it's all hoodies. She might take a hot water bottle but I suspect boarding houses are no longer the character-building temperature they were in the 80s. She'll need a dress for formals but we will sort that at half term (or via the internet).

Unless having your own hiking gear is something school requires he won't need that. Surely they'll hike in kit?

Mattress cover (boarding school mattresses can be grim), and his own pillow? Mug.

I agree. I'd cut down on the casual clothes. Most schools provide a mesh bag for each boy for smalls as it makes laundry easier.

The more they have, the more they will lose! He definitely won't need two coats. He is unlikely to have much storage space so one coat is enough but I'd advise two warm hoodies for the evening.

Endless pairs of tartan pj trousers if my dd is anything to go by. It seems to be either uniform, sports kit or pj trousers - not much in the way of other casual clothes. Sliders. If they do anything specific such as music that comes with its own 'kit' then lots of that (DD needs endless black concert clothes). Socks. Lots of socks. She usually does her own laundry though.

Don't forget you can post him anything he needs; he'll also be allowed to go into his nearest town at weekends, so he can always buy anything he needs, and he can use Amazon, or you can send him things vis Amazon.
He'll likely have an exeat weekends between now and half term, so you can top up anything he needs then. A tuck box is definitely essential!!