The Ultimate Back-to-School Checklist

Getting ready to go back to school

Going back to school is all about routine. Children thrive on having structure, and let’s face it, parents could use a little bit of that, too! You might try hanging up a tiny checklist for them of everyday to-dos, so they know what to do during their morning routine. This can include things like: wash your face, put shoes and packed bags by the door, and bring a water bottle. One other important aspect of school life is establishing your home-based routine for when your children need to study. This could be as simple as establishing a reading corner, or table for them to study from. This environment should be as distraction-free as possible because, as we know, kids can sometimes use any excuse not to study!

You may also benefit from creating a meal plan for your children, if you plan to pack their lunch for them each day. These meals should include a piece of fruit, some vegetables, some lean protein and dairy to cover all the bases from a nutritional standpoint.

School uniform checklist

Whether your child is attending a local comprehensive school or a private school, they are likely to need a uniform. So, make sure they are all kitted out for the school days ahead. Here are some of the most common items you may need to source before your child’s first day of school:

• A week’s worth of polo shirts or blouses

• 2 jumpers or cardigans

• 5 trousers or skirts

• School shoes (and a back up pair if you can manage it)

• Tie, if required

• 5 pairs of socks

• One waterproof coat

• Hat, scarf and gloves for winter

• P.E. kit complete with gym bag

• Rucksack

• Book bag

If you have young children, then it’s best to plan for accidents, so packing as many changes of clothing as you can would be best! It’s also a good idea to use an indelible marker to label your children’s clothes, so that they can keep track of them during the school day.

Gym Kit/P.E. Kit checklist

You may have noticed in the list we provided above that you will need to provide a gym kit for your child, if they plan to participate in sports days and other physical activities while at school. To make sure they have enough changes of clothes, so that you’re not doing constant washing, try to source a few changes of the following items:

• 3 t-shirts

• 3 shorts

• 3 pairs of socks

• Plimsolls and trainers

• Water bottle

• Swimming costume (if necessary)

• Towel (if necessary)

• Gym bag

When it comes to picking out gym kit, it pays to think ahead. Get the t-shirt a size bigger than your child might normally wear and they can grow into it throughout the whole school year. The same cannot be said for their shoes, which need to fit well in order for them to avoid getting blisters, or stepping out of their shoes when running.

Back-to-school stationery & essentials

We often remember to get the ‘big items’ such as the uniforms, but the smaller aspects of everyday school life can fall by the wayside. Here are some of the items your child might have strewn about their desk (and in their bag!) at any given time:

• Pencil case

• Pencil set

• Pencil sharpener

• Colouring pencils

• Coloured pens

• Glue stick

• Ruler

• Scissors

• Rubber (eraser)

• Exercise books

• Plain paper

• Graph paper

• Lined paper

Other items your child may want to have ready include:

• A calculator

• A book bag

• Lunchbox or bag

• Drinks containers

• Labels and stickers for naming items

• Pencil case

• Music bag with musical instrument

Finding back-to-school shopping offers & schemes

Trying to bag a bargain? Here are a few of our favourite deals from the US, UK and Australia on back-to-school essentials.

The US

• Backpacks under $25

  at Walmart

• Save 30%

  on selected uniform items at Target

• Search Kohl’s Clearance

  section for assorted back-to-school deals

The UK

• Discount shoes

  at Clarks Outlet

• Save 20%

  on M&S school uniform

• Full school uniform for £5

  at Aldi

Australia

• Half price water bottles

  at Woolworths

• Various deals available

  at Target Australia

• Search Clearance

  section as Officeworks AU for discounts on paper, pens and lunchboxes

How to support loved ones abroad going back to school

It may be that you’re not a parent yourself to a child heading back to school this year, but you have influence over a child’s life in some capacity. Whether you're an extended family member, or just a concerned friend, there’s a variety of ways that you can support your loved one’s education. WorldRemit is an easy-to-use money transfer app that makes sending money overseas a breeze.

In a few taps, you can transfer an amount you choose from your bank account to your recipient’s. This is called a remittance – which is why it’s in our name! Whether this is the first time you’re sending or the hundredth, there’s always new features to discover on the WorldRemit app. You may want to set up an alert for daily exchange rate notifications in order to find out when it’s most favourable to send money for your chosen country.

We also have great deals for first time users like waiving the transfer fees on your first three transfers with the promo code 3FREE. So if you had your eye on the section about deals, then you won’t want to miss this one! However you choose to support your friends and family throughout their education, know that you are making a world of difference to them. And WorldRemit would be happy to partner with you on that journey. For more information about what we’ve done in the past to support back-to-school efforts, head to this page.

You might also like:

• Our back to school guide with 15 tips

• Back to School Allowance in the UK

• How to get free back to school supplies in the US

• Back to School vouchers in Australia

The contents of this blog post does not constitute legal or financial advice and is provided for general information purposes only. If you require specific legal and / or financial advice you should contact a specialist lawyer or financial advisor. Information true at time of publishing.