Your school bag needs to be a trusty companion. 

It is tasked with the burden of carrying your whiteboard pens, folder, phone, wallet, keys and laptop, and sometimes piles of books. 

It can be your discreet helper, allowing you to sweep away rubbish and keep it out of sight until you can put it in the bin.

Quick read: How to create a sustainable school work wardrobe

Quick listen: How to train a teacher

Want to know more? Why teachers’ first impressions really do count

And, ideally, it will be well designed enough to prevent you from getting backache on your commute. 

So, what makes a good school bag?

1. Compartments

A tote bag with a large open top or a satchel with an easy-lift flap are great styles for quickly shoving things in when you’re in a rush.

What goes in must come out, though, and a bag that is disorganised will leave you rummaging helplessly for your keys while Year 9 line up impatiently in the corridor for what feels like an eternity. 

To avoid this, you need compartments. If your bag has sections, pockets and internal zips galore, then you are at an advantage - but if not, never fear.

You can buy a separate bag organiser insert (these are available from Amazon and eBay in a wealth of designs, fabrics, sizes and colours, for around £10). 

Assess whether it will serve you best simply placed into your bag or sewn in. A professional sewing job is not necessary since it will only be visible from inside the bag; you can do it by hand with perfectly satisfactory results.

Think about what you need: a zippable compartment for your car keys, an easy-access holder for whiteboard pens, a big space for your jumper.

2. The right material

Next, consider where you will put your bag during the course of the day. If it’s ever going to be anywhere other than hung up or on a nice clean carpet, is leather really the best choice? 

Science and technology floors scuff, the canteen floor has crumbs and drips, and break duty in the rain is going to be…wet.

Much better to have a nylon bag you can stick in the washing machine, especially if you’re in the habit of bunging your half-eaten snacks in as the bell sounds for the end of break. 

3. Paper protection

To avoid arriving at meetings with crumpled documents, you need a paper-transport solution. Mesh bags with coloured zips, widely available, could be your new best friend.

An A4 piece of card placed inside keeps prevents squashing in your bag, and documents are kept clean and flat. When bought in packs, these come with a range of zip colours - ideal if you need to colour-code for different roles, projects or rooms. 

Ultimately, if you look after your work bag, it will look after you: so invest some time into your buying/making process now and you’ll feel the benefits every day. 

Ruth Ashbee is lead practitioner (Science) at Telford Priory School, Shropshire