12.5kg school backpack no lockers

[PalmLady]

My son's Y7 back pack with only the absolute necessary items weighs 12.5kg. There are no lockers for them to use. This seems excessive to me? My son only weighs 35kg himself.

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.

heavy yes

12.5kg? unlikely

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

wow! what’s the back pack?

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.

I weighed it, I know my luggage scales are accurate because the weight comes up the same at the airport check in every time.

I weighed it because it seemed so heavy. Honestly I couldn't believe it myself but that's what it is. 12.5kg.

https://www.blacks.co.uk/16883087/adidas-classic-badge-of-sport-backpack-16883087/4641289/?istCompanyId=d92b362f-ac8a-4a8a-87ca-c56eafad7955&istFeedId=2f99410f-1124-43d5-8232-86c184f09479&istItemId=mmiarxxtp&istBid=t&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjY64BhCaARIsAIfc7YbiJjqvqpBuqaHJ1NQa43qB4zy2mRhCYsT1p4D5vsxaz-fnKKsNnOQaAqvpEALw_wcB

It's this one. I did separate out his food tech ingredients but he always crams everything into the bag. Probably easier for him to have it all in one bag although not necessarily better for his back. 😳

This sounds like a good idea. Or at the very least if he could leave the trainers I'm sure it would lighten the load.

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?

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

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.

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.

out of interest… what were the food ingredients?

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?

My DDs have always cooked most weeks in their Food Tech term... otherwise they would only cook 3 or 4 times! Does your school do it year round?
They are learning the techniques for cooking.

may i ask how old your kids are?

My kids bags are super heavy too. They have to take every lesson book because they aren't stored at school, as the year goes on the heavier they are, booklets, maths / art / general stationery, reading book, planner, water - it all adds up! They are at a good grammar school - and no one has ipads/laptops it's very old school.

I remember just walking to school with a pen!

Most schools have exercise books and if you don't bring in the books / learning booklets you will be sanctioned.

Water bottle should be empty on the way to school (fill it up there) and on the way home.

What's happened to the lockers

I remember having a desk at school and leaving my books in it.

Subsequent thought about carrying a water bottle:
Reminiscing that schools used to have water fountains for use during breaks and nobody carried water around with them.

That's ridiculous they don't have lockers. I had a tote tray from age 5 and a locker from age 11. Students are made to carry stupidly heavy stuff sometime. We used to have to carry the school-lent maths text book home for homework some days so my friend would just pull the pages out and then stick them back in later with tape! It looked pretty silly when she returned it at the end of the year!

Oh he’s lugging PE kit around all day?! That’s crazy.

There must be somewhere to leave it even if not a locker. Surely he has a peg?? Shelves?

Oh come on, he doesn't have pE and food tech every day...

How much is it without the PE and food?

Just sounds like he needs to be more organised OP and work out what he needs and when

He needs the kit 3 out of 5 days. I'll weigh again when there's less but if there's no food tech then there's more books. He didn't even have a reading book in his bag today or any lunch.