Planning for back to school can feel just like you’re prepping to run a marathon. From endless lists and tasks, and Christmas on the agenda, the list of everything you need for school season probably feels never-ending! Here at The Athlete’s Foot, we live and breathe Back To School, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

To take to stress out of the silly season, we’ve provided a small back to school preparation guide to help get you sorted!

• Make sure that you have a copy of your school calendar for the upcoming year so you can make a note of any crucial dates—also, importantly, make sure you have the right start date (and time) for the new school year in January!
• If they’re just starting school, don’t forget to make sure that your little one is fully up to date on all required vaccinations
• The school may provide you with a list of all the stationery and supplies you need – so be sure to dig it out. This will help you prioritise which items are more important. Check out our blog on school stationery for more information.

Getting there

• A few days before school, we recommend a trial run of the school journey, whether it’s by car, on foot or on public transport. It will get your kids used to what they need to do to get from A to B—particularly if they’re traveling solo. It will also give you an idea of how long the commute takes.
• Make sure they have all the timetables, maps and travel card top ups so they’re good to go from day 1.
• If they’re a bit smaller, they might need a hand on remembering important lessons like how to cross the road, so a dry run is a good excuse to help them along.

Well-fitting uniform and Shoes

• Make sure that they have a uniform that is well fitting. If they have started a new school and need a new uniform – do you have everything you need to help them get ready?
• It’s amazing how quickly kids grow. Especially their feet. New shoes are also a good way to help them kick start the new school year. For little ones we recommend Alpha. Their range of uniform friendly, robust styles suits every kid, for every age.

Don’t forget to make sure their shoes fit properly too. Be sure to Read our blog on fitting school shoes and find the best fit for you.