Best stationery to buy ahead of the new school year

Buying a new set of pencil cases, pens, rulers and highlighters at the start of the school year, along with new school shoes and uniforms, is an annual ritual that will be all too familiar to many parents.

Marking a fresh start to the academic year and topping up on new school supplies is a chance for your child to show off their personality in class.

With Verdict Retail predicting that the UK stationery industry will be worth £2.1 billion by 2021, it’s clear that our love for pens, paper, post-its and more isn’t slipping – despite us living in the digital age.

With hundreds of options on the market, covering luxury, budget and classic stationery brands, there’s something for all price points, needs and styles.

Kit out your child (and even your own office desk) with some of the latest notebooks, rubbers, folders, highlighters, pencil cases and pens from shops all over the high street and online including Amazon, WH Smith and Ryman.

Best back to school stationery

1. Assorted Glitter Pencils (6-pack), Ryman

Practical and pretty, this six pack of sparkly pencils are sure to brighten up any Monday morning maths lesson.

Add some personality to your pencil case with this pack of six assorted coloured glitter pencils. Each pencil features an eraser at the top encased in a gold eraser holder.

Price: £2.99 | Buy now at Ryman

2. Sparkle Pop Holographic Rollbound A4 Ringbinder, WH Smith

Holographic patterns, mermaids, narwhals, unicorns and all things magical are all the rage. Inject some magical rainbow fun into your stationery kit with this holographic ringbinder.

It features a fun pastel blue scale pattern with a gradient colour, and inside the lining paper takes a similar pink-blue gradient hue.

Its A4 size is perfect for your kids to keep all their essays, homework and other documents neatly stored away and the blue outer elastic band will keep the folder safely closed too.

Price: £4.19 | Buy now at WHSmith

3. Staedtler Colouring Pencils – Assorted Colours, Amazon

Coloured pencils made from wopex material with an easy grip barrel and a non-slip rubberised surface.

Bright vibrant colours designed to make a bold statement on paper.

Price: £3050 l Buy now at Amazon

4. Stabilo Boss Pastel highlighters, Ryman

Gone are the days of the lowly yellow highlighter. These pastel highlighters are to die for! Your studious children can choose from mint green, pink, turquoise and even a lavender purple shade to mark through important textbooks.

Stabilo Boss is one of the most trusted highlighter and stationery brands out there, so you know you’ll be getting great quality – and the soft colours are so gorgeous.

They feature anti-smudge and anti dry-out technology, and they’re also refillable. Plus the classic wedge shape allows you to draw both wide and thin lines.

For under a fiver, you’ll get your hands on eight beautiful shades to highlights notes – and they’re ideal for use at school or university.

Price: £4.79 | Buy now at Ryman

5. Helix Ultimate School Set, Amazon

Substance over style, this school stationery set has nearly everything your child will possibly need in class and more.

The excellent value for money set includes: 2x HB graphite pencils, 1x black & 1 x blue ballpoint pen, self centring compass with pencil in case, mechanical pencil & lead refills, 1x highlighter, 15cm ruler, 180 degree protractor, 45 & 60 degree set squares, pencil sharpener, sleeved eraser and a super handy  timetable, and a maths fact sheet.

Price: £4.99 | Buy now at Amazon

6. BIC Evolution + ECOlution Felt Pen and Pencil Set, Amazon

Let your little ones get colourful and creative with this BIC kids pen and pencil set, which includes an 18 pack of eco-friendly pencil crayons, 18 water based BIC colour felt tip pens, and eight HB BIC Evolution Originals pencils.

Created especially for kids, these product ranges are easy to wash off hands and are designed for easy writing and drawing.

All the B pencils come with built in erasers and the felt tip pens come in an array of vibrant shades so your child can create their own colourful works of art. The fixed medium nibs also mean that they won’t get squashed or misshapen under pressure and are great for outlining and high-volume colouring.

Price: £8.99 | Buy now at Amazon

7. Palm Print Pencil Case, Ryman

Tropical vibes aren’t only for the beach – they can be in the classroom too. Palm print is on trend and the pencil case is as stylish as it is practical and functional.

Constructed from a soft PVC fabric and a gold zip up top, the blue and turquoise palm leaves fill the space with the slogan ‘YOU HAVE GOT THIS’ written in gold to inspire you to keep pushing.

There’s also a matching backpack to complete the set!

Price: £4.99 | Buy now at Ryman

8. Helix Super School 6 Piece Maths Kit, Amazon

s your child not that into your maths? Sometimes just feeling and looking the part can really boost their confidence.

Encourage them to attack those tricky divisions and fractions with this set from Helix, which contains a 15cm ruler, 180 degree protractor, sharpener, rubber and a lockable radius compass. All neatly packaged in a 3.5″ tinted pencil case, which is available in both pink and blue.

Price: £3.89 | Buy now at Amazon

9. Animouth Monkey Pencil Case, Ryman

An adorable sequin animal pencil case that will fit all your little one’s pens and pencils.

Here we have selected the monkey pencil case (how cute is it, right?) – but there’s so many animals to choose from you’ll be spoiled for choice.

The flippable sequin design lets you go between a brown and a gold background – and the compact, super cute design perfectly slips into a handbag or backpack.

Price: £4.99 | Buy now at Ryman