The summer holidays might be in full swing and it feels like ages before the kids are due back at school but if you are thinking about getting ready for the start of the term, we’ve tried to make life a little easier for you with a list of places to get all the clothing and supplies you need!

School Uniform

Skoolkit, located in Church Street in the town centre or online, stocks all the general schoolwear you need to get kitted out including aprons, PE bags, plimsolls and name tags so you can label everything to hopefully avoid the amount of items lost during the school year. It also stocks school specific clothing for a number of local schools. You can use the handy checker on their website to see if it stocks your kids’ school clothing. Online orders need to be placed by 9 August for delivery before the start of the new school year.

For other general schoolwear items and PE kits there are plenty of options including:

• Marks & Spencer in Festival Place
• Sainsbury's at Kempshott
• Asda at Brighton Hill
• Matalan in Chineham

For school shoes, Clarks can be found in Festival Place and sometimes operate a booking system at busy times. Sports Direct located in Festival Place and Deichmann located in The Malls usually have a good selection of school shoes too.

Let’s not forget that kids grow so quickly and so you might be able to find some good quality second hand clothing on some of the local social media groups or marketplaces.  Some schools also have pre-loved uniform for sale so make sure to check them out. If you have clothing from the last school year which your child has outgrown why not list it for other local families to purchase. This is a great way of reusing and helping our planet!

Hair cuts

If you need to tame unruly holiday hair with a quick trim before heading back to school, then there are plenty of local hairdressers and barbers to choose from. Book in advance at Trilbys or Station Barbers in the town centre. ARC Hairdressing and BOX at the Top of the Town also offer children's cuts. In Overton, Toni Hair also offers children's hair styling. If you are based in Whitchurch, you can book online at Headquarters for a children's haircut.

Stationery

From pens to school bags, folders to lunchboxes there are so many other things the kids need to return to school.  If you want to avoid buying online then there are plenty of options in Basingstoke town centre.  Why not combine a shopping trip at Festival Place with a spot of lunch and head to Smiggle, Ryman or Typo or you can find WH Smith and The Works next door in The Malls.

Meet ups

A new school or class can be a daunting for children (and the adults too) so we think this is a great idea from Atmosphere Trampoline Park who have organised ‘school jumps’ prior to the first day back at school, giving children a chance to socialise in a fun environment with their fellow classmates. Visit their Facebook page to find which date is available for the relevant school and year group.

In the meantime, why not enjoy the rest of the summer holidays? With so much to see and do in the borough you can get out and exploring. Take a look at our Summer Holidays guide for ideas or the Explore section to browse for yourself.

Please note the inclusion of any business within this listing should not be seen as an endorsement of their services. While the information is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information. 

July 2023