Starting secondary school - what does she need?

Eliza_2

My granddaughter is about to start secondary school and I said I would buy her bag and contents so we are going shopping early next week. She knows which bag she wants but neither of us know really what she needs in the way of contents. What do schools provide in the way of notebooks or files etc, and what about maths kit? Do they use protractors, compasses etc these days?



Can anyone give me some good ideas about contents please? I'd like some treaty, probably useless and soon lost things too, just for a bit of fun.

Thanks very much.

clearingout

schools seem to vary in their attitudes to 'kit'. I have worked in one where it was acceptable to demand a pen from the teacher at the start of every lesson....

Pencil case with decent biro pens (not the type that leave 'globs' of ink everywhere), ruler, set of pencil crayons, pencil sharperner, eraser, possibly highlighter pens, possibly red biro/green biro (just a congtrasting colour to the normal blue/black), children seem to like the gel pens that come in rainbow colours. She shouldn't need exercise books but a nice folder and a big pad of A4 ruled paper will always be useful at home for homework and rough work, revision, that kind of thing.

I would suggest a small dictionary in English and in whichever language she will be learning is always useful (again, something which seems to be supplied and with the internet these days, you don't always have need for a paper copy but I'm old fashioned that way and prefer my own, on the shelf!). Also a thresarus (and a lesson in how to use it) would also be helpful.

She may find one of the ziploc, A4 bags/folders you can buy useful for holding stray papers in one place or there are other 'soft' folders you can buy for keeping papers in. It would just stop them getting all dog-eared and unreadable (and eventually lost) in her school bag.

nikki&asha

My daughter is starting secondary too - the school sent a list and its on the website so may be worth a look.

Main things were

Scientific calculater
maths set
Dictionary/thersaurus
pencil case with contents inc highlighters, pen, pencil, ruler etc


I think they usually supply paper/exercise books.

Maybe some pretty paper/plastic film for covering text books?

I am also going to get her somehing pretty to keep her 'ladies' things in her bag.

hth x

balletshoes

Eliza wrote: »

My granddaughter is about to start secondary school and I said I would buy her bag and contents so we are going shopping early next week. She knows which bag she wants but neither of us know really what she needs in the way of contents. What do schools provide in the way of notebooks or files etc, and what about maths kit? Do they use protractors, compasses etc these days?



Can anyone give me some good ideas about contents please? I'd like some treaty, probably useless and soon lost things too, just for a bit of fun.

Thanks very much.

We've just done this - we got a letter from the school saying on their first day they only need a bag, some paper to write on, and a pen/pencil. However, just like your granddaughter, my daughter wanted to buy loads of stuff (and we have, but we haven't gone completely overboard :rotfl:).

We bought -

a Pukka pad set (2 large A4 notebooks and a small one), a small calculator, set of highlighters, an erasable pen (very cool, nothing like that when I was at school ) erasers, sharpener, felt tips (no idea why), and a folding ruler. She already has colouring pencils, normal writing pencils, and she already had a pencil case she likes.

Most of this we bought at WHsmiths or the pound shops. I remember spending my pocket money on loads of silly bits of stationery when i was at high school, so i get where she's coming from lol!

I haven't bought any folders, compass etc yet, as to be honest, I've not seen any of the kids who go to our secondary school with folders.

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Any special mathematics stuff will be mentioned in the first few lessons but might include set square, protractor, compass and scientific calculator.

Eliza_2

In the space of 10 minutes some absolutely brilliant ideas, thank you. I've been telling my mother and she said in her day absolutely everything was provided by the school and kept in desks so you never needed bags or PE bags (apparently that stayed in school all term and was washed at the end of each term - ugh!!!)

Thank you again, have now got a great list!

mum26

Staples have a scientific calculator (Casio something or other ) for £4.99 with a free geometry set, the calculator is the one specified by my dd2 and ds1's secondary school

silvercar

I would wait before buying a calculator - the school may request that you buy a certain model that will make it much easier for your child to learn how to use.

Get a school bag that is strong enough to carry books from a few subjects and has supports to ease her/his back. For good posture, the rucksack style with 2 shoulder straps are ideal. Try and encourage the use of both straps from the start.

mum26

Surely they will have given out a list at one of the open evenings or is it on the website / prospectus?

luxor4t

As well as academic equipment I think she'll need a 'make-up' type zipped bag with tissues, hand gel and a comb (plus pads etc if she's at that stage). School toilets inevitably run out of supplies

aliasojo

silvercar wrote: »

I would wait before buying a calculator - the school may request that you buy a certain model that will make it much easier for your child to learn how to use.

Agree with this. It's a specific model Casio my daughter's school uses and they go through the functions step by step in class. The kids who have other calculators are at a disadvantage before they start but to be fair the teacher does allow them to use the school's at these times.