🎒 Starting secondary school checklist

A bigger school, a longer day and more to organise than primary school ever needed — sort the practical side early so the first morning is one less thing to worry about.

18 items

1. Uniform ordered earlySizes and specific items sell out before September — order with room to grow rather than an exact fit.
2. Shirts or blouses×5
3. PE kit checked against the school's specific listSecondary schools are often stricter about exact kit than primary was.
4. Shoes that meet the uniform policyNot just any black shoe — check before buying, since some schools are specific.
5. Bag big enough for a full day's booksA full timetable means more carried at once than at primary school.
6. Stationery list from the school checkedDifferent subjects often need their own kit — a scientific calculator, art supplies, a PE bag separate from the school bag.
7. Timetable and site map looked at in advanceA bigger school with several buildings is disorienting on day one — a look beforehand takes the edge off.
8. Route to school practised before term startsWalked, cycled or the bus route ridden once in advance, so the first real day isn't also the first attempt.
9. Bus pass or travel arrangements sortedApplied for early — passes for the new intake are often processed in a batch, not overnight.
10. Locker or storage sorted, with a combination or key kept safe
11. Contact and medical details given to the new schoolDon't assume anything transfers automatically from the last one.
12. Lunch money or a cashless catering account set upMost secondary schools run cashless — set the account up before the first lunchtime, not during it.
13. Homework routine agreed before term startsA first week is easier with somewhere and some time already decided, rather than worked out under pressure.
14. Term dates and inset days notedSecondary school calendars rarely match a primary sibling's.
15. Clubs and activities looked intoJoining something in the first term is one of the easier ways to find a friend group beyond the old primary school one.
16. Emergency contact card kept in the bagA bigger school means more staff who don't already know the family.
17. Pastoral contact or form tutor's name notedUseful to have before it's needed, not looked up for the first time in a crisis.
18. A quiet acknowledgement that first-day nerves are normalFor a new building, a new bell system and hundreds of faces they don't recognise yet — not a sign anything is wrong.