Best bag for secondary school

[Mamoune13]

Hi this is my first message so I hope I am doing this right...my son is starting secondary in September and I am wondering what bag to get him. He will have to travel on the train and walk a fair way so I was thinking of a good rucksack but they all seem to be too narrow for a ring binder for instance. What do people use??? Are we allowed to name brands on this forum? Thanks for any advice!

The textbooks-in-half-the-subjects school is a state school. The non-textbook subjects (Sciences, Geography, English etc) use a combination of online homework and handouts.

My husband does work in a private school.
All schools used to provide textbooks (before we all had computers) so why can't they now? Are they more expensive?

Out of interest, would state school teachers LIKE to provide textbooks or do you think computer based materials are better?

Don't know if they are more expensive or if we just have less money lol.

I use textbooks but less in KS3 than in KS4, where it is very much a GCSE textbook with all you need to know, so then it would be more useful.

KS3 meh, I don't follow a textbook slavishly with any year or any set tbh, just dip in and out of it. Top set maybe as they can cope better with the level of work.

"All schools used to provide textbooks (before we all had computers) so why can't they now? Are they more expensive?"

Well, of course they are. It costs nothing to provide a couple of website links. Textbooks cost several pounds each.

I teach MFL in a state school and have only ever taught in a state school. I have never handed out text books and use them only for cover lessons when I am absent - We probably have enough text books for one class in each year group. When the curriculum changed last we bought a new set, when it changes again we shall have to buy yet another. At eight pounds a pop we just can't afford to buy one each for sporadic homework use.
I would much prefer (as would many teachers) to devise an activity that suits what my students understand/need to understand precisely than use an activity that 'sort of' fits anyway!

Ds1 (grammar) brings home text books, ds2 (comp) doesnt. Ds2 isnt allowed to bring any books out of the classroom which makes me very cross.
Ds1 needs very little support and has all his resources.
Ds2 needs loads of support. Eg he had to look up a piece of ridiculous noises music and write down what you heard. When you typed the music into google it came up with umpteen different versions, we had no idea which one he had already begun work on.
Ds1 put his music homework on the school intranet so we knew exactly what he was doing.
Ds2 did bring home a full exercise book from french, when I asked him why he needed me to help him from scratch at home he told me that he had copied everything in the book from the board but didnt understand it. If he had the right resources, more time could be spent actually teaching the children and he would know what he had learnt!
Sorry for rant, it enfuriates me.

Expensive but L.L Bean is a brilliant investment. But only if you are willing to pay for bag and shipping(Made in US)

I buy copies of the textbooks ds uses in school and keep them at home. The school does not provide them, and now I'm a governor I know why. They just vanish without trace, costing a fortune as they do. All th necessary information is gradually getting on to the VLE.

DD (private) uses text books for French, Economics, German and Science and she has only brings them home if she has to use them for homework, otherwise they go in her locker. They copy the important notes from the text book into their exercise books.

DD's school is also big on internet so they use that a lot, they tend to do their research on their laptop and copy notes and do activities from the text book.

littledrummergirl sorry to hear that it's not working for your son in French - have you contacted the school? It is very likely though that they don't follow a text book and won't be able to provide them. The activities the class teacher devises should be what the students need to help them achieve therefore their exercise books should be even better than a text book as it should only contain the pertinent parts. If your son doesn't fin this works for him now is the time to say if only so that his teacher knows to make sure he fully understands the HWK. I'm sure your son could always approach the teacher before/after school and at lunch/break time too though for extra help. I've never turned away a student askin for help but I have got cross with students who don't ask and then don't do.

My DD1 in year 7 (state) has a text book for French, Spanish and maths, but not for the other subjects where she had handouts.

She doesn't have any files, just soft A4 exercise books (covered in sticky back plastic).

She is on her 5th bag. First two from John Lewis broke, then she had an old one ftom paper chase (zip broke), then a satchel which was too small, and now a cheap backpack from amazon.

DD has textbooks for MFL, History & Science. No ringbinders but plenty of A4 clear plastic folders for her work.

She started high school with a Gola bag but has now swapped to a rucksack.

Fourcorneredcircle thanks. Ds2 is being assessed for dyslexia atm but gets loads of support from his teachers. He is not very confident however I bought books to use at home and his vocab is coming along. He has around 50 words that he knows the meaning of and can put them into context because we work at his pace. I just wish I could tie it into his schoolwork hence wanting to see books.
Sorry to hijack op. Both my ds have large backpacks with padded straps and a solid back. They have a seperate compartment for their lunch boxes.

Yr 7 state school here. Not a single text book. We have a large multi-pocket folder for carting homework backwards & forwards. Most tasks are given out on photocopied worksheets or the kids write down their homework in their logbooks.

The backpack needs to be big & strong enough to carry a packed lunch, PE kit and tech projects, such as ingredients, as you can guarantee they will all be needed on the same day.

Yr9 state grammar, has always brought textbooks home for Maths, all three Sciences, French, Spanish, Latin and History. They weigh a tonne, he started year 7 with a canvas, quite strong messenger bag but switched to a large backpack when he started cycling in. He's just replaced his Jeep (TKMaxx) one with a Trespass hiking one as we couldn't find another decent sized one.