With the summer over and the new school year starting it’s an obvious time to think about your essentials for the year ahead, and the essential classroom supplies you’ll need.
If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at our list of 10 essential classroom supplies for some inspiration.
1. Office Essentials
Office essentials are the unsung heroes of classrooms. Throughout the school year you’ll be using supplies like treasury tags, rubber bands, push pins, paper clips, and paper fasteners more times than you’ll care to count so it’s a good idea to stock up on all of them before the new term begins.
2. Glue Sticks
Whether it’s coloured, glitter, or the plain variety, glue sticks come in handy for all sorts of craft projects so you’ll want to make sure that you have a steady supply of non-toxic and solvent free glue on hand at all times.
3. Exercise Books
It might seem obvious to call exercise books a classroom essential but that’s definitely what they are! Make sure that you have a selection of exercise books in various colours and types to use for different lessons like Maths, English, and Art. To ensure that you have all the exercise books that you need, choose a selection of handwriting, plain, lined and squared to meet your classroom’s needs.
4. Pens and Pencils
It’s inevitable that at some point someone will forget to bring in the necessary writing tools, so it never hurts to make sure that you are fully stocked up on pens and pencils. If your pupils are at the stage where they’ll be learning to write starting in September, then don’t forget to stock up on essentials like handwriting pens and pencils, and pencil grips for little hands who need some extra help with their grip.
5. Motivation and Rewards
There’s nothing like some positive reinforcement to motivate young learners and let them and their parents know that they are doing well in their studies. Whether it’s subject-specific stickers, sparkly stars or award certificates, motivation and reward supplies will definitely be appreciated by your students.
6. Desktop Storage
A busy classroom can get messy very quickly with all sorts of stationery and supplies lying around. To keep your classroom looking neat and tidy at the end of each day, set out desktop storage around the classroom to store essentials like stationery, glue sticks, markers and scissors (if your pupils are old enough to use these independently).
7. Classroom Display Supplies
Wall displays are an essential part of early learning and primary school classrooms, making the room look more inviting and setting the scene for an engaging learning environment. You can use classroom display supplies to bring new teaching topics to life, as a teaching resource, or to display information that students need to memorise such as times tables and difficult to spell words.
8. Individual Whiteboards
Individual Show-Me whiteboards are the ideal resource to facilitate activities that will engage the whole classroom, and can be used for a wide range of subjects such as numeracy and literacy to test pupils’ knowledge. To go along with the whiteboards, make sure that you stock up on whiteboard markers and erasers to avoid any disagreements over who gets a “good” marker!
9. Paper Trimmer
Cutting out activity sheets, handouts, and craft supplies is a time-consuming process which is when you’ll be glad to have a paper trimmer in the classroom. Make sure that you pick a paper trimmer or guillotine with a sturdy finger guard, a non-slip base, and a carbon steel blade so that it will last through many rounds of cutting and trimming.
10. Bulk Packs
Bulk packs are the perfect buy to set your classroom up for the year ahead. Available for a variety of subject areas – like literacy and numeracy – and key stages, these comprehensive packs are an efficient and cost-saving way of facilitating educational activities that will support the national curriculum’s objectives.
