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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

School bag

33 replies

Crueltyfreekat · 26/07/2018 11:49

Hi All

This is probably a very trivial question. But my only daughter starts a secondary school in September and I want to make sure that she fits in by getting her the most upto date stuff.

Can anyone advise what the most up to bags/ stationary etc are for secondary school? At the moment she loves Smiggle but i don't want to spend a fortune on smiggle stuff just to find out that it's out of the style at big school!

Thanks for all your help.

OP posts:
W00t · 26/07/2018 11:53

I can pretty much guarantee that wherever you are in the country, Smiggle is hot with primary children only.

Superdry and Hype rucksacks are popular here. Stationery seems to be a huge mix- but mainly WHSmiths, paperchase, supermarkets etc.

PandaG · 26/07/2018 11:56

I don't usually advocate following the crowd, but i totally understand why you want to help her not stick out like a sore thumb.

I think it is impossible to say what will be in vogue where you are, it depends on where you are in the country, what the local trends are. I would doubt Smiggle is in though, is much more of a junior school trend round here.

Why not use a bag you already have for the first few days, then buy one once she has sussed out what would fit in and also be useful? It is likely she will have a lot of stuff to carry, especially if PE and food tech are on the same day.

dementedpixie · 26/07/2018 11:57

It deoend on the school tbh. My dd has a kipling backpack. Some kids have shoulder bags. Ds just has an Adidas backpack

Sugarhunnyicedtea · 26/07/2018 12:00

My ds had a slazenger backpack in year 7, Adidas for year 8 that I imagine he's keeping for year 9. Some girls have huge shoulder bags, some have backpacks. There's not an 'in' bag at his school

EllenJanethickerknickers · 26/07/2018 12:02

Last week I'd have said hang out at school kicking out time and see what they're carrying. Too late now. My DSs have always had a rucksack, OGIO last time, but schools do differ. At one local school the trendy girls all have oversized handbags, Cath Kidston etc but they're not good for your back.

Most important would be not too 'young' looking. Maybe start out with something cheap and let her trade up once she has seen what's 'in.'

cubscout · 26/07/2018 12:09

Agree it may be better to wait - also to see how much stuff she will need to cart around. By Y 9 ds had huge 35 liter backpacks because of the amount of stuff he needed to carry. But if they have lockers, they wont need something that big.

bellinisurge · 26/07/2018 12:09

I agree to go with the flow and see what's in. Again- would normally say "strike out with your own style" but that is not fair to kids. Having had parents who did this and having suffered the consequences (and this was late 70s!).
When my dd has her transition days, i suggested she took a sneaky peek at what others had. She saw loads of girls in Kickers shoes so we are going for them.
As for bag, probably Adidas - she has one now.

rainingcatsanddog · 26/07/2018 12:21

Definitely don't take Smiggle.
Safest bet is to take plain stationery (supermarket own brand, Staedtler, BIC etc)

It's hard to advise on bags as different schools have different fads. My children all take backpacks as they walk to school and often have pe kits as well but some girls carry totes. Is her y6 bag neutral enough for y7? If so I'd use her y6 bag then buy one once she sees what other people have.

Original poster
Crueltyfreekat · 26/07/2018 12:32

Thanks so much for all your help everyone,

I've got to say i'm a bit disappointed. I love smiggle lol.

So glad a started this thread though, she really would stick out like a sore thumb with how bright and colourful smiggle stuff is!

OP posts:
rainingcatsanddog · 26/07/2018 12:36

In the case of stationery, there's a lot of borrowing of stationery (and not always getting it back) etc so she should keep her nice stationery for home use.

AnneOfCleavage · 26/07/2018 12:58

I bought a pretty fashionable bag for DD for year 7 but after few weeks it was clear it was too small and not comfy so bought her an Animal rucksack that was roomy, had space for a water bottle at the outside to save making books wet inside, and was comfy with big padded straps. She loves it so much we bought another one for year 9 and she'll have the same for year 10. I would say most of the girls had basic plain coloured or some colour like the Animal rucksacks in year 7. Now though it's all arm bags which are not comfortable at all and can't fit much in.

YeTalkShiteHen · 26/07/2018 12:59

North Face and Hype are the big “in” brands of the moment here (central belt)

Smiggle definitely not for secondary school DD is starting primary and has half the bloody shop

AnneOfCleavage · 26/07/2018 13:00

Ps re stationery buy basic stuff as they borrow each other's and don't always return. DD's fountain pen was borrowed and she never got it back as no one owned up who'd borrowed it. Highlighters are great as lots of highlighting texts, fun rubbers and sharpeners but normal pens and pencils. Pritt stick is a must too as DD goes through lots and lots.

littleducks · 26/07/2018 13:04

I agree to start off with a bag you already have then upgrade a couple if weeks in

Dd took a Adidas rucksack which she now uses for pe kit. Her main bag is a cath kidston rucksack. Not bad price in sale and has lasted well.

I see girls on way to work at other schools with kipling bags which look good to me but Dd says aren't cool at her school Confused

RedSkyLastNight · 26/07/2018 13:17

Smiggle would probably be ok in Y7 - it seems to be more Y8 that they get more conscious about this sort of stuff.

I would recommend asking someone who already has a girl (not a boy as girl/boy bag fashions will differ) at the school what most people use. Some of the recommendations on this thread are certainly not in favour at DC's school, so this must be school or at least area dependent.

Also, find out your school's locker policy. If your school has a no bags in corridor policy, the sort of bag you need will be totally different to if they have no lockers at all.

I agree to take plain stationary only - school should give you a list (or sell it).

Usuallytootiredbuthappyanyway · 26/07/2018 13:17

I would go with buying a non offensive plain backpack to start with and then let her choose a new bag at half term or for christmas if she wants something fancy. At my school most of the girls carry large handbags - I think it's ridiculous but if that is what they are all carrying she might get her heart set on one. Some of my students have lovely Smiggle stationery but the majority have a the bare basics scattered between blazer pockets and their huuuuge handbags :D

reluctantbrit · 27/07/2018 08:40

Smiggle is out at the end of Y5 in DD’s primary. Lots of Y6 girls already start with the huge handbags and will use that in secondary.

We insisted on a backpack, DD has to walk 30 minutes and has to carry a lot, our neighbour’s girl goes there and she showed us the content of her bag.

We settled for a fashionable laptop bag, we see these a lot as well. Nicely padded and decent straps but not sporty as an Adidas or Superdry. Also DD goes to a girls only school, that makes it different as well.

We got a list for stationary, maths equipment and dictionary already, quite a lot of stuff plus the teachers of the other subjects will give out requirements during the first week. We had to buy an Art Kit but that comes with its own bag.

If you have a local bf page I would go and ask there.

LimeIce · 27/07/2018 12:15

Adidas and Nike are popular at dd's comp.

LimeIce · 27/07/2018 12:16

In a comp you probably wouldn't go far wrong if you bought any backpack from JD Sports

towbar · 27/07/2018 12:50

Superdry are popular here.
You might find you'll need to go for practicality rather than fashion. My dd (S2) has to carry so much stuff (including a chromebook) I couldn't believe how heavy her bag is!

ChocolateWombat · 28/07/2018 14:10

Useful tip is to buy LOTS of stationery in advance and keep spares at home to dish out - lots of shops sell it cheap in 'back to school sales' to you can pick it up at little expense - get several 15cm rulers, protractors, Pritt sticks, pens etc. Quite useful to have a school pencil case set of stuff and another home set,mso the school pencil case remains in the bag and doesn't get left at home. Also get lots of printer ink and printer paper as there's nothing worse than needing to orint homework and not being able to.

Round here, rucksacks are the thing - superdry, hype, or something plain. Bear in mind that a plain black or navy rucksack might be hard to find amongst 200 others on a bag rack, so choosing a slightly different pattern if it's allowed is a good idea.

TheHobbitMum · 28/07/2018 14:12

Absolutely no Smiggle at secondary around here, mostly Ffjalraven & a few Hype

ChocolateWombat · 28/07/2018 14:13

If you and your DD like Smiggle, then Paperchase might be a good slightly more grown up option. Yr 7 girls still love a pencil case and a gel pen and a highlighter, if not the colours of Smiggle and Paperchase seem to offer fun stuff which is just a little bit less lairy!

Mangosorbetrocks · 28/07/2018 21:17

DS’s school only allow plain black or navy rucksacks. So we’ve settled on well padded (laptop) Wenger rucksack.

MissWimpyDimple · 28/07/2018 21:34

Hype backpacks or Fjällräven Kanken are the thing here.

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