A sturdy backpack, pencil case with black pens, pencils, rubber, ruler, highlighters, glue stick and a basic scientific calculator such as the Casio FX-83. Add a reading book, PE kit on PE days, a refillable water bottle and a planner if the school provides one. Avoid buying expensive stationery that will get lost in the first term. Label everything, including the blazer, as lost property in secondary schools is vast and rarely recovered.
My child is anxious about starting secondary school. How can I help?
▾
Acknowledge the worries without dismissing them, then break them into practical problems you can solve together. Walk or bus the route during summer so it feels familiar, practise reading a timetable, and role-play asking a teacher for help. Most schools offer transition days in July and a gentle first week. If anxiety continues beyond October, contact the form tutor or head of year early, as secondary schools have strong pastoral teams who would much rather know.