Trends & Inspiration

Student Solutions: Back to School

With GCSE results over, it’s time to start preparing for September. Here at IWOOT, we’ve thought of some ideas to help get children of all ages excited for going back to school. The theory is, if they start the year organised then it’s more likely they’ll stay organised – so, have a read of our 5-step plan and give them a head start!

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Back to School – Image Source Taken

  1. Routine

    In the last two weeks of the summer holidays start introducing a routine again. We’re not saying strict bedtimes straight away, as we know there can be a lot of distractions and travelling around during the summer. However, enforcing earlier nights and earlier mornings will help the children ease back into their school term routine – which means a lot less hassle when September 3rd arrives. If they really struggle with getting out of bed early, avoid arguments by gifting them a new alarm clock – younger children will love setting it up by their bedside table and older students will appreciate the added responsibility and independence.

  2. Clear Out

    In order to move forward and prepare for September, make sure that all unnecessary and unwanted files, papers and books are thrown away and recycled. It’s likely that this will already be done for younger children as they don’t have as much independent work – however, GCSE students will be dropping from 10+ subjects down to 3 or 4 so clearing their desks will help them concentrate on the new tasks ahead.

  3. Homework Station

    No matter what age your children are, it’s important to set up a quiet area for homework and studying. This small step will separate home life, television and other distractions from school work which will help students who have just started at secondary school or their GCSE’s to get into the correct mindset. Tell them about this area and kit it out with cushions, quirky clocks, lamps and desk organisers to encourage participation, that way they’ll be more inclined to use the space, even when they’re tired. Also, make sure there is enough storage for them to keep their new school work, that way they can keep their work organised all year round.

  4. School Stationery

    As well as having the correct stationery at home, make sure your children go to school with the right tools. In addition to pens, files, and subject specific stationery, there are endless fun and useful tools that will help everyone get excited for September.  For older students, Sticky notes are extremely useful; they’re perfect for revision, to-do lists, and highlighting important information. For younger students or older ones that are particularly clumsy, invest in a waterproof notebook, so that when their water bottle inevitably leaks in their bag, no hard work will be lost!

  5. Communicate

    It might seem obvious but make sure you talk to your children and encourage them with both their worries and hopes for the coming year – that way you can set targets and work on solving troubles before September.

It’s important too to get your children involved in day to day decisions, no matter what age, let them choose one or two items for their lunch box or what extra-curricular activities they would like to try. They’re less likely to back out of activities or eating lunch if they’ve played a role in making the decision and it will help develop their independence too.

We hope that our 5-step strategy helps you and your children get organised for going back to school. If you found this helpful, take a look at our cool and tasty lunchbox ideas too!

We’d love to know all about what you are doing in preparation for September – just post in the comments box below!

 



Team IWOOT

Team IWOOT

Writer and expert

A hub for gifting and homeware ideas, committed to bringing you the quirkiest trends on the market.