- Providing every child with the best start to school
Around 47,000 children starting Primary One in the next academic
year, 2027-28, will be the first to receive a Welcome to School
backpack in a variety of colours, to help them start school
feeling excited, supported and ready to learn.
Procurement of the first bags is now underway following
engagement with children, families and teachers to ensure they
provide the practical contents and equipment that will help cut
the cost for families as children start school.
The bags will be lightweight, made of durable, recycled
materials, have multiple versatile compartments and pockets,
reflective piping for safety, and space for name tags and a
window in which children can place a drawing to personalise their
backpack. Each one will contain:
- a pencil case
- stationery including pens, pencils, coloured crayons and a
notebook
- a water bottle
- resources to encourage reading, writing and maths practice at
home
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan met children at Orbiston
Community Hub in North Lanarkshire, who will be among the
first to receive the bag, to work on designs they could
personalise their bag with.
Ms McAllan said:
Every child and family should feel excited and ready for their
first day of school, which is why the Scottish Government is
offering Primary Ones their very own Welcome to School Bag,
filled with things to help them learn.
We worked with children, families and teachers to create the
design and ensure it provides what a child needs as they take
their first steps into school life.
Building on the success of the Baby Box, alongside the School
Clothing Grant, Best Start Grant School Age Payments, breakfast
clubs and free school meals, the Welcome to School Bag will help
ensure that no child's start to school is determined by their
family's financial circumstances.
This is an essential component of our determined focus to
eradicate child poverty, which is why we have prioritised work
during the first 100 days of Government to ensure the first bags
reach children by the time they start school next year.
Background
Every child starting P1 at their local school will be eligible
for the Welcome to School Bag. Full details of distribution and
returns process will be confirmed in due course. User testing of
the backpack will take place this autumn with children, families,
headteachers and P1 teachers. This will inform the final design,
contents, and colour options.
The Scottish Government is working to ensure that materials
provided in the Welcome to School Bag complement the Bookbug and
Read, Write, Count programmes, and that the bag provides the
greatest value for every child as they start school.
Bags will be delivered to around 47,000 children starting at
primary and special schools in August 2027. Current pupil rolls
have been scaled by the 2024-based population
projections produced by National Records of Scotland to
estimate the number of eligible pupils. This figure may fluctuate
depending on the number of children whose entry is deferred at
parent or carer discretion.
Costs will be confirmed following conclusion of the procurement
process.
Social Security Scotland is currently accepting applications for
the Best Start Grant School Age
Payment, granting eligible families more than £330 to help
with the costs of preparing for primary school. This will also be
paid automatically to eligible parents in receipt of the Scottish
Child Payment.
Families may be eligible for the School Clothing Grant,
distributed by local authorities, which can be worth at least
£120 for primary school pupils and £150 for secondary school
pupils. All pupils in Primary 1-5, all children in special
schools, and eligible pupils in P6 through to S6 can already
benefit from free school meals in Scotland, saving families
approximately £450 per child per year if taken every day.
