What to Do in the Two Weeks Before School Starts: A Parent’s Checklist
By Billie Geena Hyde
SEO Lead
, Tutorful
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Back to school doesn’t have to mean panic, or a last-minute dash for a protractor. Here’s a calm, doable plan for the two weeks before term starts. Nothing fancy, just the steps that genuinely make a difference.
Mid-August has its own feeling, doesn’t it? The kids are still in pyjamas at 11, the summer routine has quietly unravelled, and there’s that little voice: have we even checked the uniform list yet?
Take a breath. Two weeks really is enough. No need to turn the end of summer into a military operation. Just a few small, steady steps so September feels like a gentle nudge, not a mad scramble. Put the kettle on, and let’s get things sorted together.
Three simple stages carry you from mid-August through to the first morning back.
Two Weeks Out: Start Easing Back into School Sleep
This is the one thing that makes a real difference if you start early, because bodies don’t reset overnight. If bedtime has drifted to ‘whenever’, it’s easier to shift it bit by bit. Try moving it 15 or 20 minutes earlier every few nights, and bring wake-up time forward too. It’s much kinder as a gentle slope than a sudden jump.
NHS advice on children’s sleep is worth keeping in mind, especially when ‘just one more episode’ has become the summer norm. A short, predictable wind-down routine like bath, book, lights out, same order every night, does more than any amount of bedtime nagging.
Sleep, step by step
Shift bedtime by 15–20 minutes every 2–3 nights until you hit the school-time slot you want mornings to stay at.
Shift wake-up time to match. Don’t just chase an earlier bedtime and let mornings drift.
Try switching off screens an hour before bed. Blue light really does make it harder for bodies to settle down.
Bring back the old ‘getting ready’ routine: teeth, clothes out, bag by the door. It helps everything feel familiar again by day one.
A gentle note: if your child fights bedtime on principle, don’t try to fix everything at once. Sleep comes first. A well-rested child will handle the rest of this list much better than a tired one.
Also worth doing in week two: dig out last year’s PE kit and school shoes and actually try them on. Children’s feet don’t care about your summer plans, and finding out about a growth spurt on the first day back always seems to happen at the worst possible moment.
Let’s talk money for a second, because you’re not imagining it: school uniform really isn’t cheap. The Children’s Society says the average cost of a full primary uniform and PE kit is £343, rising to £442 for a secondary uniform and PE kit. Over a third of parents they spoke to said they were struggling to afford it.
There’s some good news coming. From September 2026, new rules will limit how many branded items schools can request, which should help reduce costs for many families. It’s worth checking your school’s updated uniform letter before you buy anything, just in case the list has changed.
Uniform and admin, sorted
Have a quick look at the uniform list and compare it to last year’s. Policies do change, and nobody wants to send their child in with the wrong jumper.
If you can, go a size up on things like jumpers or adjustable trousers. It gives you a bit more breathing room before the next growth spurt.
Label everything. Really, everything. Even water bottles. It saves a lot of searching later.
Pick up the basics for their pencil case: pens, ruler, maybe a calculator, and keep the receipts. A few things always go missing by week two.
Have a look for secondhand options. School Facebook groups and uniform swap shops are a perfectly normal, sensible place to find what you need.
Sort out any transport or childcare admin now – bus passes, after-school club forms, anything with a deadline.
A quick money-saving tip
If your school allows, get the plain bits like trousers, white polos, PE socks from the supermarket. Leave the specialist shop for logo items only. It really does add up otherwise.
One Week Out: Looking After the Nerves (Yours and Theirs)
If your child’s stomach starts doing somersaults as September gets closer, they’re in very good company. NHS England data shows one in five children aged 8–16 had a probable mental health condition in 2023, with anxiety among the most common. School transitions are a well-known trigger point.
A Barnardo’s survey found that nearly half of children worried the schoolwork would be too hard, and about a quarter were anxious about changing school, class or teacher. For 11-year-olds moving up to secondary, that jumps to half. So if your child seems quiet or snappy this week, it’s rarely just nerves. Talk it through together. Instead of just saying ‘it’ll be fine’, ask what’s actually on their mind.
Ways to help it land gently
If they’re starting somewhere new, try a practice run – walk or drive the route, look at the school website together, or find a photo of the building.
Don’t forget to name the good bits too – a friend in their class, a subject they like, or the first thing they’re looking forward to.
Watch for physical signs. Tummy aches and headaches in the run-up are very normal. If things don’t settle, know who to call. The school SENCO is usually a good first step, and Young Minds has a free parent helpline if you’d like to talk it through with someone outside the family.
If it’s the workload they’re dreading, sometimes it’s not ‘school’ in general. It’s one subject that felt like a slog last year. If your child is dreading maths on day one because last term left them behind, that’s something that can be fixed, not a personality trait. A bit of catch-up before term starts can turn ‘I’m rubbish at this’ into ‘actually, I’ve got this’.
Final Days: Get the Last Bits Sorted
This is the bit nobody loves, but it does make a difference. Nothing unsettles a calm first morning like realising the term dates PDF has disappeared at 7am.
Last bits to sort
Pop the term dates into a shared calendar – yours, your partner’s, grandparents’, anyone who might be doing pickups.
Plan the first week’s packed lunches, or check dinner money and school meals.
Lay out clothes and pack the bag the night before. If you can, keep it up for the first week or two, not just day one.
Set two alarms for the first morning back: one for you, one for them.
Confirm who’s doing pickup and drop-off for the whole first week.
Charge any devices and pack chargers if they’re needed for school.
The night before, in one sentence: bag by the door, clothes laid out, lunch sorted, alarm set. If you can tick those four off, you’re already ahead for tomorrow morning.
Spotted a gap while you were getting things ready? If last year’s books showed a subject that’s still a bit wobbly, or your child is dreading a class that never quite clicked, a bit of one-to-one support before term starts can really help.
Our tutors are here for exactly this: building confidence back up before the pressure’s on.
However the next fortnight goes, remember, you don’t need a perfect system, just a good-enough one. Sleep sorted, uniform sorted, nerves talked through, bag by the door. That’s a solid start to any school year, and honestly, more than most families manage.
Here’s to a calm September
Sources
Sleep Foundation — Back to School Sleep Tips
NHS — Sleep: A Guide for School Age Children
The Children’s Society — School Uniform Costs Briefing, September 2025
House of Commons Library — School Uniform Costs in England
Save the Children UK — Back to School Anxiety
BBC Newsround — Barnardo’s Back to School Anxiety Survey
