The Grandparents' Back-to-School Checklist: What's Genuinely Worth Buying (And What's Just Good Marketing)

There is a particularly nice version of back-to-school shopping that belongs to grandparents. You aren't necessarily responsible for finding three identical white shirts on the Sunday before term starts, but you can step in with the thing that makes everyone else's September slightly easier.

And that is really the point. Children will always be drawn towards the pencil case with the most compartments, while parents are generally more grateful for the jumper that washes well, the backpack that lasts or the labels that mean said jumper actually comes home again.

If you're offering to help this autumn, we'd spend the money on the things that will still be proving their worth after the excitement of the first week has disappeared.

If you're helping towards one purchase, make it something that comes out of the wardrobe every morning like uniform. Parents need as much uniform at their disposal to stave off endless laundry cycles, so helping them out build out a reserve is endlessly helpful. When it comes to school uniform, M&S is the retailer we'd start with because its best pieces tackle the mundane problems that make uniform expensive over time - stains, fading, bobbling, ironing and children growing faster than expected.

Its stain-resistant pure-cotton polo shirts are particularly good. Alongside a finish designed to deal with everyday spills, M&S uses StayNEW technology to reduce colour loss and bobbling, which is precisely the combination you want from something likely to be washed several times a week. The school range also extends that practical thinking into easy-iron shirts, adjustable trousers and knitwear.

The backpack children love on the first day isn't necessarily the one they'll enjoy carrying when it's full of exercise books six months later. Weight, comfortable straps and useful organisation matter more over a school year than novelty detailing. For an older primary-school child or teenager, we'd look at Uniqlo's Utility Backpack before more elaborate designs. It has six external pockets for the bits that otherwise disappear to the bottom and a separate internal sleeve large enough for many 15-inch laptops, so school equipment can be divided without adding lots of bulky compartments.

Our rule is simple: if the bag itself feels heavy before you've put anything inside it, keep looking. A lighter, well-organised backpack is usually a more useful school purchase than one covered in features a child rarely uses.

For younger children, independence matters more than an impressive number of compartments. A lunch box is no help if a five-year-old needs an adult every time they want to open it. That's why Sistema remains such a sensible place to look. Its Bento Lunch Box uses one easy-locking clip and removable compartments rather than several separate containers, so there's less for small hands to open, close and remember. It also keeps different parts of lunch separated within one box.

For drinks, Ion8's one-touch bottles solve a similarly ordinary problem well: the full-flip cover protects the drinking surface and the design is made to be leakproof. In a school bag containing library books, worksheets and occasionally somebody's carefully made model of the solar system, leakproof is not a minor detail.

Most children don't need a desk's worth of new stationery every September. They need a few things that work properly, particularly once they are learning to write for longer stretches.

The STABILO EASYoriginal is the piece we'd spend a little more thought on. It was designed specifically for children learning to write, with separate left- and right-handed versions and recessed, non-slip grips intended to support a comfortable hand position. For a left-handed child especially, buying a pen designed around the way they actually hold it is far more useful than another enormous stationery set. Add dependable colouring pencils and a sturdy pencil case (that's where you can have a little more fun) if they're needed, but resist filling a basket simply because everything is new and brightly coloured. The best school stationery is usually the equipment a child stops noticing because it simply works.

A beautiful new school jumper has remarkably little value when it is sitting anonymously in a lost-property box. Stikins is the name we'd know in this category because one type of label can be used across uniform, shoes, bags, lunch boxes, bottles and stationery rather than requiring a different labelling system for each. Available to buy on eBay, the labels stick to clothing care labels without sewing or ironing and have been independently wash-tested for repeated washing, which is exactly the sort of practical detail that matters once term starts.

But alongside traditional labels, there is also a growing preference for personalised fabric name stamps, such as the Etsy-made options that allow you to stamp clothing directly with a child’s name in seconds. We've tried and tested this personalised stamp from small business, Handmade by Stella - they are particularly useful for bulk labelling at the start of term, especially for younger children who go through multiple sets of uniform, and they remove the need to apply individual stickers or sew-in tags altogether. Plus, they don't fade in the wash.

School trainers often end up doing far more than PE. They're worn for sports lessons, after-school clubs, school trips and weekends, so it's worth choosing a pair that can cope with all of it rather than simply ticking the school list. This is one area where grandparents can make a real difference because quality trainers aren't cheap, and they're a purchase parents often have to replace as children grow. We'd prioritise supportive cushioning, durable soles and breathable uppers over the latest trend or the brightest colourway. A well-made pair that stays comfortable through a full school day is far better value than one that needs replacing halfway through the term.

For everyday school sport, New Balance consistently produces some of the best options for growing feet. Many of its children's trainers combine lightweight cushioning with durable rubber outsoles, making them equally suitable for PE lessons, playground games and weekend activities. If you're buying one larger gift before the new term starts, good sports trainers are one of the purchases families will appreciate every week.