12.5kg school backpack no lockers

My kids have never once used an iPad for school! It’s all note books (approx four subjects a day maybe five in year seven) and assorted stationery plus a book to read. That soon adds up. I’m assuming regular iPad use is a private school thing?

out of interest… what were the food ingredients?

Get a lever arch file and a bunch of these to go in them. Have one folder for each subject and swap them in and out of the lever arch each day depending on his timetable. They are big enough to fit jotters and most text books. He carries the file and everything else goes into his bag - it will massively reduce the weight on his shoulders while also keeping things organised and in one place as it were.

Sports kit is heavy - no two ways about it, but I’m surprised at Food Tech - not that he has it once a week, or that he has to bring ingredients every time they cook, but I’m shocked that they cook every session - where’s the theory?! I don’t know any schools near me that cook more than once a month on average.

A cabin sized suitcase is 10kg.

i had a long haul luggage allowance of 12.5kg. One suitcase and a backpack.

a PE kit cannot be that heavy compared to a weeks worth of clothes etc. home ec as well, is he taking kilogram bags of flour and sugar etc?

i can’t compute how that small bag can hold 12 kg of kit and not break, if it will even fit.

Failing that buy him a 10kg suitcase on wheels.

My kids are the same most days.
5x A4 text books and sometimes more as some subjects require an extra book
A large thick A4 Text book for at least 3 subjects

A large pencil case as they have to have lots of different equipment there.
Scientific calculator
Planner / diary
Reading book which can be thick depending on what it is.
Lunch and water
PE kit is required 3 times a week and is a full second bag which is bulky and heavy on its own.
No lockers so they have to lug it round all day including break and lunch

Poor him, it sounds like really hard work lugging that around! Could he take an empty water bottle and fill it up when he gets to school?

Put his PE kit and food tech ingredients in separate bags.

Get him to ask the food tech teacher if he can leave his ingredients in the store cupboard and the beginning of the day and ask his tutor/form teacher if he can leave his PE kit in her classroom.

When I had a form my classroom was a clutter of PE kits and musical instruments.

in his backpack he fits all his books plus food ingredients plus or kit plus trainers?

wow! what’s the back pack?

heavy yes

12.5kg? unlikely

Does he put his kit in separate bag to the books etc?
It will still be heavy altogether but the weight is distributed in separate bags, so not too much pressure on his back/shoulders.

Take out the pe kit and food tech ingredients that presumably he doesn't need every day and it doesn't sound so bad.

@speedmop read OPa update again, she recognises that it is particularly heavy due to PE and Food tech.

pe kit, trainers, food ingredients etc will add hugely to that 12.5kg 😆

He has food tech and PE every single day?

come on op!

Get a timetable and ensure he packs for his lessons

Absolutely insane but totally believable, particularly in a “good school” with a “broad and balanced curriculum” that involves plenty of exposure to new subjects but not making the Y7s sit in too many double or triple periods per day.

No idea what the solution is as they often need the text books in class as well as at home and multiple folders result in lost notes.

Pretty sure that's about what my DoE bag weighed with my share of a tent and the cooking equipment, what on earth is he carrying?! If it's really that much weight, that's untenable.

Is he carrying a large water bottle full of water? Water is very heavy.

My DDs bags always seem insanely heavy, no idea why!

The essentials
At least 5 A4 exercise books (some subjects have 2)
Diary
Lunch
Water bottle
2 x pencil cases (one needed every lesson, then the other full of the extras sometimes needed)
Calculator
Umbrella

DD1 needs PE kit 4 days a week, DD2 2 days a week (separate bag). DD2 needs her food bag 2 days a week (plus her rugby bag on one of the PE days).

Hmmm this might be the difference between a good school, using tech, enough text books to hand out so students would take them home, good sports and music provision so extra equipment is needed etc and one requiring improvement.

By the time I left teaching unless it was PE or Food tech most of my students came with their pencil case (ok, a pen and pencil if we were lucky) in their blazer pocket, perhaps their planner if they hadn't lost it and that was all other than their phone. The idea that they might need more than that didn't quite hit home with a lot of parents who thought we should provide it.

Perhaps backpack weight should be included on the league tables.