Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash
Back-to-school shopping can become surprisingly expensive, particularly when older children need equipment for several different subjects. The good news is that you do not need to spend a fortune on colourful stationery sets or designer pencil cases.
We have picked out some of the best-value school stationery currently available from UK retailers.
Best all-in-one stationery set
The Jotz! 27-Piece Back-to-School Stationery Set from The Works costs £10.
It includes a pencil case, calculator, pens, pencils, highlighters, ruler, scissors, glue stick, eraser, sharpener, colouring pencils and felt tips. The calculator is fairly basic, but this is a good starter set for everyday classroom and homework essentials.
Best filled pencil case
Argos has an Oxford 18-Piece Filled Pencil Case for £10. It contains black, blue and red pens, five HB pencils, permanent markers, a sharpener, eraser, ruler and geometry equipment.
Everything comes in a clear pencil case, making it particularly useful for school tests and examinations where transparent cases may be required.
Best maths set
For secondary school maths, the Helix Oxford Nine-Piece Maths Set is £6 at Argos.
The metal tin contains a compass, pencil, ruler, protractor, two set squares, sharpener, eraser and lettering stencil. The sturdy case should also help prevent the smaller pieces from disappearing into the bottom of a school bag.
Best scientific calculator
A proper scientific calculator is worth buying carefully, as the cheapest option may not cover everything needed for GCSE work.
Ryman currently has the Casio fx-83GT CW+ Scientific Calculator for £20.99. It has more than 290 functions, comes with a protective cover and is approved for Key Stages 3 and 4, including GCSE examinations.
Best notebooks
The Pukka Pads A4 Metallic Jotta Notebooks are available as a pack of three for £15 at Argos. That works out at £5 per notebook.
Each subject can have its own notebook, helping pupils avoid carrying one increasingly battered book between every lesson.
Best budget highlighters
For revision and organised notes, The Works sells six pastel highlighters for £2. Its brighter six-pack of neon highlighters is also £2.
Before buying anything, check the school’s equipment list and look through last year’s pencil cases and drawers. Reusing folders, rulers and calculators is still the easiest back-to-school saving of all.
Prices checked on 17 August 2026 and may change.
