Back to school without the panic

Every year the same August scramble, and every year the same discovery in November: half of it did not fit by half term and the other half was never worn.

Buy in multiples, not in outfits

Five polo shirts, three trousers or pinafores, two jumpers. Nobody notices repetition on a child and every parent notices laundry. Multipacks are cheaper per item and identical, which means a lost one is replaceable rather than a crisis.

Shoes are the one thing to spend on

They are worn six hours a day on hard floors and they are the only item where a bad fit does actual harm. Get the foot measured, buy the width as well as the length, and accept that they will need replacing mid-year.

The bag

Padded straps and a back panel, because it will carry more than it should. Reflective detailing if any part of the journey is in the dark, which from October it will be.

Outerwear that lives in the bag

A packable rain jacket goes everywhere and gets used constantly. A coat that has to be carried gets left at school.

Screens

Homework moved onto a laptop years ago. Kids' screen glasses are cheap and, at worst, a placebo you can see through.