What are your back to school organisation tips?

[didistutter56]

Starting to get organised for back to school (10 days left!) so I’d love to hear any tips.

I usually get two lots of uniform (worn over 4 days, pe kit the other day) but I’m wondering whether to get more. I’ve bought all new school bags, lunch bags, shoes and accessories, just uniform to buy.

What school set ups do you have around your home to make mornings a bit easier?

If bedtimes and wake times have slipped, start moving them back gently so you don't have to move 90mins in one go.

Your kids must be super clean if you can get away with two sets of uniform - mine need a clean set most days as they often spill their lunch down themselves and if they take their jumpers off their shirts come home covered in pen!

I iron their uniform and pack their school bags the evening before. I make their packed lunches the evening before and store them in the fridge overnight.

I wash every day with multiple kids so two is fine. Although my average rule is one on, one in wash, one spare.

Never leave the sorting to the morning. Even when I am broken I have learnt sort it the night before. Bags packed. Uniforms out. Lunches ordered or in fridge. Water bottles ready.

I don’t know why I’ve written everything in plural, I only have one DD 😅 She is fairly clean though! But I buy two lots of new uniforms, if she gets any dirty throughout the week then we always have last years uniform at a push, it usually still fits her fine.

I’ve been debating making everything in the evening but I’ve always worried about soggy sandwiches and nothing being as fresh.

I cook the part baked rolls (only takes a couple of mins in air fryer) and my son says they are not soggy (.eg ham and mayo) I do this just before I go to bed

some reserves of snacks - individual packs of crackers so if I don’t have bread in, i can make a lunch

I have a uniform for everyday as I find they wear out anyway

all uniform is kept separate to all other clothes in own set of drawers

I have 5 drawer organizers and I'm planning to label them mon-fri with and get the uniform ready for the week at the weekend. I'm tired of being asked where stuff is on a morning. I normally have more uniform than we need. At one point I had a list by the front door - hat, gloves, bag, water bottle etc and I might reinstate that. I think it's important for my son to find his own stuff!

College age.
On hall cupboard door we have timetable and checklist of what to take.

I have a board by the door with info like who needs pe kit, food ingredients, extra curricular clubs etc

Its also next to a mirror and a shelf containing hairbrush and hair bands.

Secondary age... so each child has a box downstairs with all their exercise books in so none of the wander off... they unpack them after school, use them for homework... then back in the box.

They have different bags for different extra curricular activities as welll (just from the collection of random spare back packs we built up!). So they know where everything is.

Deal with school letters immediately if you can.

Sandwiches the night before aren't soggy so do that. You can also freeze things like ham and cheese ones to grab and go - they defrost by lunchtime. I also froze tube yogurts to use as ice packs but also in case we ran out of fresh.

With uniform, I found it depended on the seating at lunch - Infants had those tables with the fixed stools attached. Absolute disaster for dropping food. Juniors had tables and chairs. Much cleaner!

I had a tub of bobbles, scrunchies, clips etc. in just school colours in one spot and non school ones elsewhere. Refill when it starts to look a bit empty.

At Secondary, had 5 magazine files labelled with the days of the week and a timetable handy, so as DD emptied her bag, she put the books into the next day they'd be needed box.

I feel like I must be unprepared, daughter starts reception in Sept, I've got uniform and shoes, a bag. It's just get dressed and go in the morning, no? What else should I be doing?

@Mumistiredzzzz have you signed up for anything you need to, eg. ParentPay or whatever system your school uses to book before/after school clubs, or their system for booking lunches if your DD will be having school dinners? For reception, they don’t need much else - as time goes on things will get added in (clubs, etc.) so you’ll develop your own systems, don’t worry!

I do a lot of the things already mentioned here. I have a printed sheet pinned up in the kitchen which has a table with each child and the day of the week - it says what each child should wear each day (PE kit or uniform), what they need to take with them (e.g. swimming kit, extra sports kit like hockey stick, etc.) and pick-up time (some days they do an after school club so will stay later).

I lay out uniform the night before, and try to pack bags the night before too. When DS had packed lunches I made them the night before too.

Definitely deal with school letters as soon as you receive them, and note on your planner/calendar any dates you need to, e.g. events/meetings you need to attend, any non-uniform days, INSET days and days when they need to bring in a £1 for something. On the subject of £1 coins - I go to the bank a few times a year and get £30/40 in £1 coins. It’s surprising how often you need them between school and the tooth fairy!

Have a place at home where school bags live, and where school books (reading books, reading record and any spellings or homework books) live so you/your child can find them easily when it’s time to use them or to pack the bags.

My boys wear PE kit twice a week and uniform 3 days (DD it changes each term depending on what clubs she’s doing). For the boys, I have enough uniform and PE kit to have a fresh set each day (so 2 sets of PE kit and 3 of uniform). DD’s PE kit is fearfully expensive so I have less of it and have to be organised about washing it in time!

I buy 5 items each of uniform as cannot be bothered to wash it more than once a week. It hangs up in their wardrobes so they can access it.

School dinners so I dont need to faff about with sandwiches.

Thanks, there's been nothing sent out about payment apps, she's not doing any clubs and you just tell the teacher in the morning what they want for lunch. Rest sounds exactly what I've done for nursery anyway, just general organisation 🙂

@Mumistiredzzzz that sounds brilliantly simple! Between two schools I have at least seven different apps and logins I need to use/check to book things and find information. It drives me barmy!

Yeah all school uniform ironed on a Sunday and hung up, we have 6 sets which is essential for P1 and P2 anyway! Each set is hung on one hanger so there's no faffing around looking for stuff.
Bag is always packed, so far haven't needed anything extra so I just check her notes file after school for any homework, letters home etc.
Chuck her water bottle and snack in each morning, usually school dinners so don't need to worry about that. That's it really. It's not that bad for us yet.

Encourage your children from and early age to be as independent as possible then you won’t need to have lists of kit and timetables etc as by the time they get to about 8 yrs old they will be able to manage their own organisation.

We have a uniform for every day. On a Sunday, I hang each day's full uniform onto a hanger with socks and underwear, so we have 5 day's worth for each child ready to go.
Make packed lunches the night before. Pack all bags the night before and leave by the door. Label all new uniform now, while it's all still together.

My kids are still very little but I'm a teacher in a secondary school. For the older ones, I'd also have at least a shirt for every day, to avoid dirty collars and lingering smells. Make sure shoes fit the uniform policy. Get plenty of each item on the equipment policy, I.e. 4 or 5 cheap rulers, a big box of black pens, so that they can refill their pencil case from home when they, invariably, lose their stuff. Buy a little weekly planner, so that you can keep track of their homework too and insist it's done before they do whatever else. I like the idea of a box for exercise books too, mentioned by a PP.

We had a list stuck in the inside of the front door listing what was needed day by day eg Monday recorder, Tuesday football kit and boots.