12.5kg school backpack no lockers

I presume the majority will have it in a tupperware, and it will be cold in no time. Biggest danger would be leaking over their school books if any are daft enough to stick it in their bag.

Depends, are they carrying it in a bone china tureen? (Antique)

It's hardly an open tray of hydrochloric acid they're trying to balance on their knees... It's just soup in a thermos. 100,000s people must do this every day on public transport.

For us I think it is the laptop which makes it excessive. After all this discussion I put my child's bag on yesterday when it was all packed - flip! I wouldn't carry that. It is awful!
The laptop, as I said, requires a sturdy bag. It is also in it's laptop bag which came with it (which is light but necessary to protect it). We minimise everything else. There has to be a "reading book" so we only use those World Book Day type books which are super slim and light. There has to be coloured pens or pencils, rather than a pack, we just have about 6 mini pencils etc. There is quite a bit of required stationery (highlighters, ruler, plus geometry equipment and scientific calculator). There is no lunchbox - just a foil wrapped sandwich (my child has never got on with school dinners) plus a breaktime snack like rice cakes. The water bottle (plastic) has about 5cm water in it from home (to fill at school). It is those blooming A4 exercise books that add up (sometimes 6 - there can be two per subject as previously mentioned)! My child does have a locker, but it is a big school and the locker is probably always going to be inconvenient to get to between lessons and when on breaktime.
I don't mind the laptop, but as I have said to the school, my view is that if they have to bring the laptop daily, the books should all stay at school (i.e. it should either be the laptop OR the books not both!). The school just don't want to acknowledge the issue with bags. Then of course some days there is a PE kit and occasionally cookery ingredients.
To those who mention a folder. I get the logic of carrying that, holding it to your chest, but I think the younger students probably prefer things in one bag. I would also say that is awkward when it is raining.
The head told me how light the recommended device is (the one we have) - it is light, if that was all you were carrying! I would encourage you to complain to school about the bag weight. I think too many parents don't say anything and that is why we are where we are. I think it is wrong.

Re teachers carrying heavy stuff - yes no doubt they do, but I doubt they are walking from home with it!!!

A 200ml water bottle is 200g of water and the weight of the bottle. Is it a plastic one? Each set copy book/journal if he's got lessons on different topics shouldn't weigh more than a few hundred grams each. Is he definitely packing just those he needs for that lesson? PE kit yes that adds up but you can buy decathlon trainers which are super light and cheap.
I'd get each item out and weigh it and see what's adding up!

yes

but now health and safety is a touch different

and having 33 11 and 12 year olds ferry around best part of a litre of hot soup around the school and then on public transport home…. wouldn’t fit with H&S!

This is normal - we did this in the 1990#

My DC is prob a couple kilos. Couple of exercise books. Planner. Stationary. Drinks bottle. PE kit some days.

bloody hell

I remember ds2 in Y7 was 30kg with a 10kg bag. He didn’t have a locker either. It’s rubbish the way schools treat children sometimes.

33 11 / 12 year olds went home,
many on public transport, with approaching a litre of hot soup?

What about this: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0991R32T6?tag=track-ect-uk-2165307-21&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1&ascsubtag=ecSEPn3g8m20tsxvh&dplnkId=6684cd49-70ed-4db2-8e79-53631432551e&nodl=1

For DoE expeditions, they specify that the youngsters must not carry more than 25% of their body weight (I heard this from a parent of a rather under-sized lad - what a good idea to make it a rule so that smaller kids don't feel pressured into carrying too much).

I think that gives you good grounds to ask the school what can be done.

a food tech teacher that tells 33 students, most of whom will travel in by bus, to bring in and then carry wound until the lesson 600ml of liquid?

Last time she’d ever do that i imagine!

it reminds me of the time I tried to do a lamb casserole on a camping trip in one of those stew pots in an insulated bag that you leave to slow cook.
Tipped the whole fucking thing over the tent carpet when a storm took our tent off.
Moral of the story, stews and soups are for worktops and main ovens only!

What about these year 7s then transporting this load of soup / casserole back home. I can’t imagine the carnage!

In any case, 600ml of liquid weighs 600g, just over half a kilo, its not the thing that is weighing down this bag, although it would be cumbersome, hope it was in a locknlock box.

Why do people keep making this comment, perhaps the class was told to bring that in, has OP confirmed this or not?

The difference is that you carry the file in your arms and that significantly lessens the weight in your bag, so it spreads it out and makes it easier to manage

Schools need to take responsibility for pupils wellbeing.

That includes secure spaces to store stuff rather than carrying it round.

I suggest that this sort of thing might come back and bite them one day.

Our school nurse invites kids to weigh their bags and sends them to their lockers... it is an ongoing discussion for every year 7 group! .. but they do have lockers:

https://jccponline.com/Backpacks.pdf. suggests back packs should be no more than 10 to 15% of body weight - which would be less than half of what he was carrying today.. no easy solution.

My son is a hockey goalie... thankfully his kit bag has wheels!