Around 47,000 children starting Primary One across Scotland next year will receive a free Welcome to School backpack containing equipment and resources to help them begin school.
The bags will be introduced for the 2027 to 2028 academic year, with procurement now underway following discussions with children, families and teachers about what should be included.
Each child will receive their own lightweight backpack in a choice of colours, made using durable recycled materials and designed to be practical for everyday school life.
The bags will include several compartments and pockets, reflective piping for safety and space for a name tag.
Children will also have a window on the bag where they can display their own drawing to personalise it.
Inside will be a pencil case, pens, pencils, coloured crayons, a notebook and a water bottle.
Resources designed to encourage reading, writing and maths practice at home will also be included.
The Scottish Government says the initiative is intended to reduce some of the costs families face when a child starts school while ensuring pupils arrive with the basic equipment they need.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan met children at Orbiston Community Hub in North Lanarkshire who will be among the first to receive the bags and worked with them on ideas for personalising their backpacks.
She 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.”
The scheme follows the principle behind Scotland’s Baby Box by providing the same core package to children regardless of their family’s circumstances.
For parents, the beginning of Primary One can bring a collection of relatively small expenses which quickly become a considerably larger bill when added together.
For children, something much simpler may matter most.
When Scotland’s new Primary One pupils walk through the school gates next year, each of them will have a school bag of their own and the basic tools they need to get started.
