1–10: Quick, Colourful, and Portable

1. DIY Mini Pita Pizzas – Whole-grain pita topped with sauce, cheese, and veggies. (source)
2. Chicken & Veggie Skewers – Grilled chicken with colourful veg on sticks. (source)
3. Build-Your-Own Greek Yogurt Parfait – Layers of yogurt, fruit, and granola. (source)
4. Mac & Cheese Cups + Veggie Sticks – Comfort food made lunchbox-friendly. (source)
5. Waffle Strips with Yogurt Dip – Fun finger food for fussy eaters. (source)
6. Charcuterie-Style Lunch – Cheese, crackers, fruit, veg, and lean meat. (source)
7. Pizza Roll-Ups – Tortilla pinwheels with sauce and cheese. (source)
8. Egg Bites & Apple Slices – Protein-rich snack box. (source)
9. Salmon Salad Walnut Wrap – Packed with omega-3 goodness. (source)
10. Banana Roll-Up + Veggie Sticks – Nut-butter wrapped banana with crunchy sides. (source)

11–20: Tasty Twists on Classics

11. Mini Bagel Sandwiches – Perfect for smaller appetites. (source)
12. Chia Pudding + Muffin + Fruit – Balanced and filling. (source)
13. Mini Quesadilla Triangles + Salsa – Dippable lunch fun. (source)
14. Build-Your-Own Taco Salad – Let kids assemble their own. (source)
15. Lemony Cucumber & Herb Pasta Salad – Light and refreshing. (source)
16. Fancy Tomato Sandwiches – Chive butter + fresh tomato. (source)
17. PB&J Overnight Oats – Great make-ahead option. (source)
18. Hummus & Cucumber Toast – Crunchy and creamy. (source)
19. Caprese Skewers – Tomato, mozzarella, basil. (source)
20. Whole-Wheat Veggie Wraps – Customisable and fresh. (source)

21–25: Protein-Packed Power Lunches

21. Apple & Cheddar Pita Pockets – Sweet + savoury combo. (source)
22. Tortilla Pepperoni Pizza – Quick lunchbox pizza fix. (source)
23. Tuna Salad with Crackers – Simple and satisfying. (source)
24. Hard-Boiled Eggs + Veggies – Protein boost in minutes. (source)
25. Hummus + Veggie Dippers – Plant-based, protein-rich snack. (source)

Why This Works

• Balanced nutrition: Each idea combines protein, fruits/vegetables, and whole grains or healthy fats.
• Prep‑friendly: Many options can be made ahead, freeing up mornings.
• Appealing presentation: Skewers, strips, and fun shapes make lunchboxes exciting.

Related Tips from Real Life

Nutrition experts recommend quick lunch planning, portion control, and avoiding overly processed foods. It’s also smart to make food visually appealing to encourage kids to eat—think cookie-cut shapes and bento-style layouts. 

Make Lunch Planning Even Easier!

To take the stress out of busy school mornings, I’ve created a free Weekly School Lunch Planner with a built-in shopping list. It’s perfect for mapping out your child’s meals, making sure they’re balanced, and jotting down ingredients you need to pick up. Print it, pop it on the fridge, and enjoy smoother, healthier lunch prep all week long.

Final Thoughts

Say goodbye to “What’s for lunch today?” stress! With this list of easy, nutritious, and creative ideas, you’ll keep lunch interesting and lunchboxes empty—one healthy bite at a time.

This guide shares practical methods for creating a revision approach tailored to your learning style. It will help you make the most of your study time and achieve better exam results.

Setting Clear, Achievable Goals for Exam Revision

Setting specific goals for your study sessions gives your revision structure and direction, keeping you on track and letting you measure progress. Instead of vague goals like “study chemistry,” focus on concrete tasks, such as completing a chapter, learning key formulas, or practising certain problem-solving techniques within a set timeframe. These targeted objectives give each study session a clear finish line, which can boost motivation and help you check how well you understand the material.

The SMART goal-setting framework is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound and breaks down larger tasks into manageable steps. For example, if your exam is in four weeks, set weekly goals by topic or chapter, then break these down further into daily objectives to reinforce your understanding of each section.

Using SMART goals keeps your revision organized and time-efficient, helping prevent the feeling of being swamped by too much content. Study guides to help with exam revision are excellent resources that provide structured learning paths and benchmarks to track progress.

Creating an Effective Study Schedule

Creating a well-structured study timetable can help you make the most of your revision time and avoid last-minute cramming. Start by identifying when you’re most productive. Some people are at their best in the morning, while others hit their stride later in the day. Knowing your natural rhythm allows you to arrange study sessions during your peak energy times, boosting focus and making it easier to retain information.

Incorporate regular breaks into your study schedule to prevent burnout. A popular method is the Pomodoro Technique: study for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Repeat this cycle four times, then take a longer break.

Keeping your schedule flexible is just as important. As you dive deeper into revision, you might find some subjects need more time than you’d planned. Adjust your timetable as you go by redistributing time from other subjects or switching study slots to cover more demanding topics. A flexible schedule lets you make these changes without the stress of a rigid plan, so you stay on track smoothly.

Choosing the Right Study Tools and Resources

The variety of study tools available today can make a real difference in your revision, helping you understand and remember information more effectively. Flashcards, mind maps, online quizzes, and digital note-taking apps are tailored to suit different learning styles. For example, flashcards work well for memorizing definitions or dates, while mind maps can help with subjects that need a strong grasp of concepts, like science or history.

Flashcards encourage active recall, prompting you to test your knowledge of key facts. They’re simple to carry around, letting you study on the go. Many apps make creating flashcards easy and use spaced repetition to improve memory retention, showing cards at intervals that help move information into long-term memory.

Mind maps, meanwhile, are excellent for visual learners. They create a visual structure, linking main ideas with subtopics to show how everything connects.

Then, there are online resources like Studocu, which can support your study by giving access to a wealth of study guides, lecture notes, and materials shared by other students. These resources offer alternative approaches to topics, helping fill gaps in understanding or providing fresh perspectives on tricky concepts.

Using a combination of these study tools, along with online resources, can make your revision sessions more productive and even enjoyable. With the right mix, you can keep your learning engaging and effective.

Testing Your Knowledge with Practice Papers

Testing yourself with practice exams can make a real difference to your revision. They help you strengthen your knowledge and give you a sense of your readiness by clearly showing where you’re strong and where there’s room for improvement. Going through past papers or practice questions lets you get comfortable with the questions you might see. It removes any unwelcome surprises, helping you feel more prepared and in control on the exam day.

Simulating exam conditions by timing yourself during practice tests is another effective strategy. Many students find that pacing is one of the greatest exam challenges, so timing yourself. At the same time, practising allows you to develop an effective strategy for completing questions within the allotted time. Aim to finish each section of the paper with a few minutes to review answers or make adjustments. You’ll naturally develop a comfortable rhythm for handling different question types as you progress.

After each practice test, review your answers, especially in areas where you lost marks or found the questions tricky. Highlight these weak spots and include them in your revision schedule.

Embracing Active Learning Techniques

Active learning is a highly effective way to stay engaged and truly grasp your studies. Unlike passive learning, which often depends on reading or memorizing, active learning invites you to interact with the material, making it easier to understand and remember. Techniques like summarising, self-questioning, teaching others, and creating custom study materials can keep your brain involved and alert.

Summarising helps you distil the information down to essential points or bullet lists, pushing you to identify the core ideas of a topic. It’s a great way to solidify your understanding and serves as a quick reference guide during last-minute revision. Explaining what you’ve learned to someone else, whether a classmate, friend, or family member is also very useful. When you break down complex ideas into simple terms, you reinforce your understanding and catch any gaps you might have missed.

Creating your study materials, like flashcards or mock exam questions, adds another layer of engagement. By designing questions focused on your weak areas, you’re actively working with the content and can use these tools for extra review sessions later.

Maintaining Motivation and Managing Stress

Staying motivated during exam revision can be tough, especially as exam dates approach and stress levels spike. Adding motivational techniques and stress management practices to your routine can help keep you focused and positive. Try setting up a reward system for reaching study milestones; it’s a simple way to stay motivated.

Keeping stress in check is equally important for a healthy mindset. Regular exercise, balanced meals, and enough sleep can keep your energy steady and improve focus. Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga are excellent for easing anxiety and maintaining a calm outlook. Short breaks, fresh air, and gentle activity can all work wonders to refresh your mind during intense study sessions.

Staying connected with friends or classmates can also be a real boost, as sharing experiences and study tips provides encouragement and support. It helps to remember that you’re not alone in this. Having company in the revision process makes it feel more manageable. Regular breaks and activities to relieve stress are as essential as study hours for staying productive and healthy throughout your exam preparation.

A recent survey commissioned by Flora has revealed that only 17% of kids lunchboxes contain any vegetables or salad, which as a mum I find shocking.   Worse than that it also showed that only 1.6% of children’s packed lunches met national standards for school food in England.  Now I know that children can be really fussy and picky eaters and understand that it is your decision as to what goes in your child’s packed lunch and that we are all busy and do not want to spend too much time on a packed lunch.  Why not check out Flora’s Lunch Box Guide, it is filled with ideas and inspiration.

I have focussed on savoury school lunch ideas here and I have to say that one of the things I often do is chop up vegetables, like bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, sugar snap peas, and celery into batons and a pita bread and supply a dip such as hummus as it seems kids adore anything you can dip! When it comes to sweet snacks, I focus on fruits such as banana, apple slices with some nut butter (if allowed), any berries (blueberries, strawberry and raspberry) with Greek yogurt.

These are cold lunch ideas, but we also have a list of warm lunch ideas! and a week of bento box lunches.

Lunch Box Ideas

Jewelled Tuna Pasta Salad

Print

Jewelled Tuna Pasta

Course Main

Cuisine British

Keyword lunch

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 350 g penne pasta
• 55 g Flora Original
• 1 red pepper seeds removed and finely chopped
• 115 g button mushrooms thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 198 g can sweetcorn
• 200 g canned tuna in water drained and flaked
• 1 pinch of black pepper
• 4 Spring onions chopped finely

Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
• Meanwhile, melt the Flora in a large pan, add the red pepper, crushed garlic, spring onions and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally until soft.
  
• Stir in the sweetcorn and tuna, cover and cook very gently until piping hot.
• Drain the pasta and gently toss with the tuna mixture.
  
• Serve immediately, or allow to cool and pack in tomorrow’s lunchbox.

Notes

What Mini loved about this recipe was just how simple it was and also how colourful. It can be so easily adapted and if you are in a hurry you can use a tin of mixed sweetcorn and peppers. Mini also commented that it would have looked and tasted great with peas in too.

Tuna Wraps

We are big fans of wraps here.  Both my boys love them and they are super simple to make and rather than filling up on bread, you get loads of filling.  This is a twist on a classic tuna mayo sandwich and also a brilliant topping for jacket potatoes.

Print

Tuna Wraps

Course Lunch

Cuisine British

Keyword packed lunch

Ingredients

• 15 g Flora
• 100 g of tinned tuna steak in spring water
• 1/4 red onions sliced thinly
• 1/2 green pepper finely chopped
• 15 g peanuts crushed
• lettuce
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 small wholemeal tortilla wraps

Instructions

• Spread Flora over your wraps
  
• Mix together your tuna, mayonnaise, onions, peppers and peanuts
  
• Cover with a lettuce leaf (this stops the wrap going soggy in your lunchbox) and spoon your tuna mayo mixture onto your lettuce and wrap.
  

Mini Pizza Bites

These Mini Pizza bites are a super gun lunch box addition and always a massive hit.

Build Your Own Pizza

Whilst we are talking about pizzas, how about building your own pizza lunchable? This is a pizza version, but you could use this for loads of different toppings on the crackers.

Air Fryer Sauage and Cheese Pinwheels

Made with just three ingredients these Sausage & Cheese Pinwheels cooked in the air fryer make a quick and tasty lunch that the kids will love.

Cheesy Egg & Noodle Muffins

These cheesy egg & noodle muffins are packed full of veg – broccoli and carrots, but peas, edamame beans, courgette and peppers also work.

Salmon Frittata

This salmon frittata is delicious served warm or cold and full of goodness and protein.

Ham and Sweet Potato Slices

Never mind the kids, I want this Ham and sweet potato slice for lunch!

Leftover Roast Beef Fritters

These simple roast beef fritters are a brilliant way to use up leftovers and are delicious warm or cold.

Nut Free Pesto Pasta

An easy pesto recipe that’s nut-free. Perfect for packed lunches to send to school or nursery for kids!

Chickpea Fritters

These veggie fritters are packed with nutrients from the peppers and chickpeas, plus warming spices – serve with a speedy homemade tzatziki for dunking

Veggie Quiche

This quiche is perfect warm of cold and makes a great lunchbox or picnic food.

Senior school is a whole new ball game, the school uniform policy is stricter, and you have to contend with opinionated teenagers.  As a mum, I have a few things that are important to me including value for money, age appropriateness, quality and comfort.  Style isn’t always my first consideration as it is the kids!

Older boys’ school shoes need to meet a lot of different needs at this age.  Teenage boys want them to look a certain style (they have to be lace-up shoes, but can’t have a chunky sole), however, they need to be high quality as they play football during their lunch hour and during their breaks (playground fun doesn’t stop as you hit Senior or High School)! I need their shoes to be supportive for their still-growing feet and also stand the test of time.

Now if you have older boys ‘ you know that shopping with teen boys is not fun. It is something that I avoid at all costs.  So I prefer to buy online making it pain-free.  I make them show me examples of what they like and take into account the school rules such as black school shoes, and no logo and then I shortlist the pairs and get them to choose. Very is great for this as they are a one-stop shop for all you need when it comes to back-to-school shopping making the shopping experience as best it can be. They had a full range of boys’ styles and manufacturers so I could find the perfect pair of school shoes. We opted for Clarks Youth Scala Step Lace Up School Shoes in classic black and I was delighted to see that they go up to a size 8.5 perfect for senior boys (I didn’t want to have to look at mens ranges as they have VAT added). and three width options.

Top tips for choosing Older Boys’ School Shoes

• Look for shoes that are flexible, but stylish. Get them to show you what styles they like.
• Your child will not want to stand out, so make sure that the shoes fit all the criteria the school has – you can not go wrong with a pair of classic lace-ups.
• Look for shoes that come in half sizes and several widths.
• Look for shoes that are easy to keep clean and insist that your child gets involved in looking after them (even if you have to polish them again at first).
• Make sure you insist that they try them on with their regular school socks.
• Don’t make them go to the store, take advantage of online shopping.
• Leather shoes are breathable and really will help with foot odour – active feet are prone to perspiration and let’s just say long school days do not make for pleasant smells!

I used to think that it was just younger children that wreaked their shoes, what with the scootering to and from school, cycling and playground jinks, but it isn’t and younger children are often happy to wear shoes with the rubber bumpers, which my teens are not. I will always replace a pair of school shoes when they are outgrown, but I begrudge a new pair of shoes when they haven’t been looked after.

As much as we can tell our kids to be careful with their shoes and look after them, it is the every day that ensures they last. As a child we always polished and cleaned our shoes as a family on Sunday morning, so this is something I have continued with my boys. We get the polish and brushes out and all do our one a and then the husbeast takes over and gives them a good buffing!

Tips to Make School Shoes Last

1. Buy the best quality shoes you can afford, leather if possible. This allows feet to breathe and trust me, they are running, playing football and cycling which causes sweating that can impact the freshness of their school shoes.
2. Protect the shoes before your child wears them. Use Shoe protector.
3. If the shoes get wet then don’t be tempted to put them in direct heat on a radiator or in the airing cupboard, instead screw up some newspaper or kitchen towel and place it inside.
4. If they smell, then once dry sprinkle in some bicarbonate of soda as it is deodorising. Just make sure to bang it out before they put them on again!
5. Get into a routine – make sure you wipe off any mud, dust or dirt with a damp cloth.
6. Clean and polish shoes once a week. I believe that cleaning them the old-fashioned way works. So get some wax polish in the same colour as the shoes (this covers any scuff marks), once you have wiped off any diirt and the shoe is dry, apply the wax in circular motions. If the front of the shoes is extra scuffed then use an old toothbrush to apply a little extra wax. Then buff off the wax with a shoe brush.
7. Use wooden shoe trees as these can help leather shoes keep their shape, reduce creases, and prevent cracks.

Don’t buy suede or patient leather, no matter how much you are pestered! Stand your ground. Suede isn’t waterproof and you need to use a waterproof spray regularly, but also it stains easily and is hard to clean. patient is much easier to clean. Warm water and a mild soap does it, but once scuffed you can never et that shine back.

Put Together a Shoe Care Kit

No products found.

One pair of the shoes above is brand new and the other is six months old. I could have cleaned them before photographing them, but I wanted you to see them in a realistic situation, so this is after a day at school! Can you tell which pair is brand new?

With boys who seem to grow overnight I am always reassured by Clarks fit guarantee, if their shoes don’t fit 3 months from their in-store fitting, they exchange them. So not only do you get unbeatable Clarks quality you get reassurance that they will last more than three months. This is applicable not just school shoes, but school trainers too (but not adults’ footwear sizes). So it makes sense to get your kid’s feet measured in-store (subject to T&Cs).

When you pay that short of money for shoes it is essential that you look after them and I have to say I learned a lot about caring for leather shoes from my Dad and Granddad.

Tips for caring for school shoes

1. Add a name label, when you have paid for school shoes, you do not want to lose them!  a name label, when you have paid for school
2. Protect them before they are first worn with a protective waterproof spray and again on a regular basis.
3. Never dry them over a radiator or heat source when wet, instead fill with crumpled newspaper of paper and allow to dry naturally.
4. Get your children to take them off when they get home from school to air them out.
5. Remove dirt as soon as possible, get in to the habit of giving them a wipe over each night with a damp cloth
6. Clean on a regular basis with a leather cleaner.  I am an old-fashioned wax and brush girl, which I leave on for an hour to sink in before removing with a soft brush and rag.  Applying the wax with a brush gets it in to all the bumps and crevices and will cover the scratch marks.
7. If your kids can not tie laces then Claks have handy riptape straps (the posh name for velcro), I clean them using a toothpick.
8. Liquid scuff polish is a great quick fix to keep shoes looking smart
9. If shoes start to smell then a sprinkling of bicarbonate of soda in them overnight will deodorise them.

Mini wanted the yellow and green trainers, but school shoes have to be black and I prefer black leather, not just for comfort but also for their breathability. I love the use of coloured laces to bring shoes and boots up to date and will be doing this with the boys’ shoes as long as the school say that is OK.

Not only do the shoes come in a range of width fittings and half sizes, they also have flexible soles and super-soft footbeds for busy days and long-lasting comfort. Even if we buy the kids shoes online, I opt for in-store fitting of my kids’ feet – Did you know you can book a slot during the busy school season?

One of our biggest expenses on an annual basis is the dreaded back-to-school shop (school uniforms and school supplies). I would love to say that as the boys’ have got older it has got less expensive but alas it wouldn’t be true. What has happened is I have learned ho to purchase for back to school effectively and efficiently to get the most for my money.  Both of the boys’ are now in adult-sized shoes (which you pay VAT on). They also have very clear ideas about what they do and don’t like.  Like me they both adore stationery and My Voucher codes have some great discounts from retailers such as  Paperchase, WHSmith, Ryman, The Works and PC World. Making those essential items you need or the new school year cheaper.

So after over thirteen years of back to school shopping, I am something of an expert on getting the best value school stuff from a number of shops.  I thought I would share with you my top tips.

In November 2021 the UK government issued new statutory guidance for schools on the cost of school uniforms

The main points are:

Parents should not have to think about the cost of a school uniform when choosing which school(s) to apply for. Therefore, schools need to ensure that their uniform is affordable.

In considering cost, schools will need to think about the total cost of school uniforms, taking into account all items of uniform or clothing parents will need to provide while their child is at the school.

Schools should keep the use of branded items to a minimum.

A school’s uniform policy should be published on the school’s website, be available for all parents, including parents of prospective pupils, and be easily understood.

Schools should ensure that their uniform supplier arrangements give the highest priority to cost and value for money (including the quality and durability of the garment).

Single supplier contracts should be avoided unless regular tendering competitions are run where more than one supplier can compete for the contract and where the best value for money is secured. This contract should be retendered at least every 5 years.

Schools should ensure that second-hand uniforms are available for parents to acquire. Information on second-hand uniforms should be clear for parents of current and prospective pupils and published on the school’s website.

Schools should engage with parents and pupils when they are developing their school uniform policy.

Brilliant Back to School Money-Saving Tips

Part of the reason I seem organised is that I have a set order and annual shopping list for back to school shopping. And guess what? I am willing to let you into my secrets.

First up – Sell it on. Whatever this looks like for you – I have done car boot sales and sold on Vinted, eBay and Facebook marketplace. Sell what you no longer need or use to add to the pot for the coming year. When kids are small they grow so fast, that often my children would outgrow shoes rather than wear them out. So it makes sense to get the most out of these items and if there are in a good condition with plenty of wear left then sell them.

Make a shopping list and stick to it.  Knowing what I need for the boys makes shopping so much easier and also stops me from buying things that they do not need. I work with an annual supply list, so if I see something cheaper in the sales then I buy it and set it aside when I need it, this works really well for supplies such as notebooks, backpacks, pens, erasers and pencils as they don’t grow out of them. I am not going to lie my boys loved a visit to Smiggle so keep an eye out in the sale or for coupons and special offers

Shop what you have. Once I know what I need then I shop the boys’ wardrobes. I pass down anything that I can and see what will last another year. There is no point in buying things if they do not need them.

Second Hand is not second best.  Does your school have a second-hand uniform sale? Children grow like weeds so often second-hand uniforms can be in really good condition and you can pick them up for a great price.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask friends who have older children if they have any you can buy from them. Why not ask your school to arrange a Uniform Exchange. Make sure you check local charity shops and thrift stores or even car boot sales or garage sales.

Check out all savings. Once I know what I need I make sure I check online for back to school voucher codes. This takes a couple of minutes and can save so much. Also, don’t forget to check out cashback sites such as Quidco and TopCashBack that enable you to earn as you spend. These rewards range from pennies for retail items to more and really start adding up, especially if your child needs a tablet or laptop. Also check out the local pound shop for supplies too.

Buy generic and get embroidered. I have always found that it is much cheaper to buy an unbranded generic or personalised school uniform (without the school badge) and then use a local embroiderer to do it rather than buying it directly for the school, especially in primary school.  However, this year the boys’ senior school had a great deal on prebadged blazers.Often you will find that a lot of the items sold by local school recommended shops are ones you can get online from Trutex.

Stamp it rather than label – Sometimes time is money and I have always found sewing in labels really time-consuming. I have never had much success with iron-on labels either, but a permanent stamp works really well for me. I just use our surname (perfect when handing it down in a family) and it really lasts, we have things that have been stamped 5 years ago and passed on that still have the name stamp in them. Get £4.99 discount when you order the School Name Labels Deluxe Bundle using the code MITMH15

Cost versus value – It’s about finding the right balance between the two. Sometimes longevity is as important as saving money – that way you’ll reduce your costs in the long run. Look at things in a cost-per-wear way. Often less expensive items might not last the whole year.

Stock up throughout the year – I often find late September and early October a brilliant time to get some bargains, especially with stationery and school stuff as they will be on sale. I get the boys’ stationery for the year and pop it in my cupboard or school drawer and they shop what I have.  I get them extra gloves at the end of winter and often get their next year’s school coat in the sales.  I just need to make sure that I do not forget I have them! I find that shops like TKMaxx are a fab place for buying out of season items. and I have saved searches on ebay and facebook marketplace too.

Buy in Bulk – I didn’t buy many items in bulk when the boys were in primary school, however, for seniors and college we bought pens, pencils, folders and lined paper pads that were all on their school supply list and this worked so well, as you can guarantee they run our just when the shops are shut. They are much less expensive from Amazon or other online stores. This also works really well if you group together with other parents and can share the discounts often offer when you buy more.

Sometimes it is the little things that really add up and I remember my Mum telling me to make sure that I stuck to one style and colour of socks and then with the same socks to select from, even the odd socks will eventually end up as a pair!

Both of my boys’ overheat when wearing school jumpers so for most of the primary school years they wore a zip-up fleece picked up from Sports Direct school colours with the school logo embroidered on it.  It washed and dried so fast that they only needed one and it doubled up as a lightweight coat too, so a double saving.

If you have girls then Next is the place for stylish shorts and culottes which work for maximum comfort, modesty and durability. Plus they can be worn during the summer with socks and all winter with tights.

Do not discount supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda and Aldi, their uniform is brilliant and my boys have had both through the years. When you have older children check out Matalan, Primark, John Lewis and the supermarket adult section for uniforms as the adult section often has the basics cheaper than the largest children’s uniform sizes. Mini’s shirts were from Primark this year and they were 100% cotton and washed really well at half the price of the school uniform.

I advocate buying things as early as possible (Marks and Spencer offers 20% off every June/July), however, both boys underwent a growth spurt which left the clothes (and shoes) too small so I was so glad that I kept the receipts and we were able to exchange the unworn items!

I would love to know your back-to-school money-saving tips as I am always up for saving money. Please do share them in the comments.

The jump from Junior School to Seniors is massive and choosing a Senior School is a real challenge.  For my children, we knew it would mean a move from a village school within walking distance to a school they would have to travel to on a bus no matter what our choice was. 

How to choose a Senior School

First of all, I would say do not rule out any school before visiting on their open days based on word of mouth and rumours. Some schools event allow school visits during the day if you can’t make their open evening.   You might be ruling out the perfect fit for your child.  The same goes for faith schools, we never expected that to be the particular school for our boys but it was.

Before you start it makes sense to check out the schools’ admissions policy and if they have specific admissions criteria such as an entrance exam. Find out how what a normal school day looks like in terms of start times and breaks and also if any have a specific application process in addition to the local council requirements. 

TIP You can search and compare local schools Ofsted reports using your postcode on the gov.uk website, and if you want to check whether a school was oversubscribed in 2021 or see where their current intake live, find a house near yours on rightmove.com then click on the school checker tab and check you are in the catchment area!

List what is important for you when it comes to Senior school and that isn’t always academic achievement or exam results and grades, in fact, I have come to realise that was the least important for our family.  For us, it was all about pastoral care, a sense of community, a focus on mental health and well-being and a good all-round curriculum is that made our decision.  What is their sex education like? What is their behaviour policy? How did they deal with the lockdown? Do they have a focus on team sports? What are their extracurricular activities? How do they deal with SEN?

Don’t be wowed by the headteacher or principals presentations or the school’s website, remember that it is a sales pitch and should be the least important part of any visit to a secondary school and your decision-making. This was what my boys’ primary school teacher told me and she was spot on. The same goes for their prospectus as it is supposed to be marketing material and show the school in its best light.

Ask Questions – We found that asking the current pupils and teachers questions at the open evening was a great way of finding out more about the school.  Don’t be afraid to chat to the teachers and ask if they have children and would they send them here? What support there is for students who are struggling? The same goes for Pulils – Which after-school clubs do you enjoy? Who can you go to if you need help with a personal matter? What is school lunch like? (that is so important – trust me)! How much homework do they have each day? Students tend to be honest about such things, So If the school doesn’t let you near its students, that’s not a good sign.

Take the time to visit the school and check out their facilities – Don’t let a shiny brand-new building blind you.  You can tell when a school is neglected or when it is just old, but well looked after. Classrooms and corridors displaying teenagers’ work proudly is a great sign.  Ask to go to the toilets to see what they look like. 

Trust your instinct – We knew after visiting which was our favourite school and why.  We also took both our boys when we were looking for our eldest and we knew that it would impact both of them as we didn’t want them at different schools unless it was necessary. Also, lots of schools take older siblings into account. So we listened to both of their opinions too.  

I think that if you find a school with a happy, warm, welcoming atmosphere you can’t go far wrong because learning is so much easier when it is done in a good environment with mutual respect.

How the pandemic changed my opinion

When the pandemic hit and lockdown happened our Senior School was one of the only ones that stepped up immediately and started delivering food to families on free school meals and that rang and spoke to pupils and parents every week.   Yes, they struggled with online learning in the initial lockdowns but they did their best and that best was much better than other schools in the area, but also a damn sight less than all the private schools in the country.  The gap between fee-paying schools and state schools became a gulf during Covid.

There was also a geographical gap because schools in the North had many more 2-week pupil isolations where they had to work at home, which meant that online learning was key.  I would ask how schools are going to manage this in the future should it be necessary.

I can only talk about my experience, so if you are considering a fee-paying school make sure you check out this post from Whos the Mummy.

Also, make sure you check out our Top Tips for Children Starting Senior School to help them ease the transition from Primary to Secondary School.

There are some problems that feel easy to solve when you’re a parent. There are some questions that your kid has that have easy answers. How are we going to get that toy out of the tree? Why does the sunrise in one place and set in another? Why is it so important to drink water? But there are some problems that we find a little harder to solve, and some situations that require a little more time and patience.

A lot of highly intelligent children really struggle with shyness. They find it hard to express what they need or want and to assert themselves in situations. In some cases, this leads to their grades suffering as they don’t feel like they have the confidence to put their hand up and ask for help. It’s frustrating to be told by a teacher that your child needs to start asking questions when you know that what your child really needs is extra help from them. It can also be nerve-wracking when they have important exams coming up that you know they would ace if they just believed in themselves a little more. It’s a problem that a lot of children will struggle with in the months to come after so much uncertainty during the pandemic.

But there are plenty of things that you can do yourself to give your kid a little extra boost to feel more confident with their studies. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started.

Don’t Frame It As A Big Problem That They Need To Fix

Anyone who was a shy kid will tell you that the absolute worst way to approach this situation is by barrelling in and telling your child that they have a problem that needs to be fixed. Addressing a lack of confidence by giving them more cause to doubt themselves is not the way to go.

Tread lightly and start by asking them how they are doing. Is there something in the classroom that is making them feel like they can’t contribute or ask a question? Are there any distracting factors, or teachers that they don’t feel like they can talk to? If you can identify any specific issues that they are struggling with, you can start working on them.

Think About How You Can Make Learning More Personalised

Shy children may struggle in a classroom because they worry about focus being placed on them if they ask a question. If they put up their hand, they may see themselves as creating a problem. If this is the case for your child, it may well be worth thinking about a tutor.

With a tutor, all the other noise is cut out and they have a clear, direct connection to their teacher. There will be none of the fear of slowing a class down or causing an interruption because the tutorial will be going at their own pace, and it won’t move on until they are ready. 11+ tutoring may be a good option to help get your child ready for such an important exam that could get them into your area’s best schools. Test Teach offers in-person 11+ tuition for children in Year 4 and Year 5, and their excellent tutors have experience and a passion for teaching.

Identify Areas Of Interest

One of the reasons why a child might struggle to feel confident with a certain subject is because they struggle to connect with it. They might understand it well enough, but if they don’t find it engaging, then they may not see a way to engage. If you have noticed that your child is particularly shy when it comes to science, for example, think about how the subject could be presented in a way that appeals to their interests. Creating home experiments is a great example of demonstrating the practical importance and the sheer joy of it.

It is also worth noting that shyness in the classroom may not necessarily be a result of the child not understanding the subject. It could be that they have a perfectly good grasp of it and don’t want to speak up because they would rather not draw attention to themselves. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your child’s teacher to find out how they’re doing, and to talk about what could be done to make sure that they feel more confident and engaged.

Practice With Them

One of the best ways that you can help your child to lose the fear of situations that make them feel shy or nervous is to show them that there is nothing to be scared of. Now, of course, you can’t recreate a classroom exactly, but what you could do is run through scenarios that are similar. Ask them what they think would happen if they raised their hand in class and asked their teacher to explain what they had just said once more. What is the worst that could happen? Try to enact the situation with the child playing the teacher and ask them how they would feel if one of their pupils was having a hard time following. You may not be able to completely get rid of their nerves, but you can show the situation from a different angle that shows that it is not as risky as it feels.

It could also help to talk to your child about situations where you have felt shy and worried about speaking up. You could explain that a lot of adults are feeling nervous about interacting with other people right now. Normalising shyness as something that adults deal with as well will help to dispel the idea that this is something that they need to be worried about. Remind them that shyness is not something that they need to feel bad about, but that good things will happen when they believe in themselves and speak up.

Don’t Forget To Reward The Big Wins

Overcoming shyness is not something that you are going to solve overnight. This is going to be a long process that may be a struggle at times, which is why it is so important that the achievements are recognised. Think about how you can reward your child for the steps forward that they take.