Aitken Niven is based in Edinburgh, and specialises in school uniforms for Scottish schools such as Auchterarder, Edinburgh Academy and Glenalmond so if that’s where you’re based you can order it all from them here. In their sport section you can buy (non school specific) Canterbury training kit, Gilbert Rugby balls and rugby boots plus hockey and cricket bats.

Here there’s absolutely anything, from reverse blade scissors and left handed nib fountain pens by Pelikano, Cambridge and Inoxcrom to rulers, sharpeners and calligraphy sets. They’ve put together some excellent packs of left handed essentials and advise you which to buy by age and ability. You can also buy left handed guitars here (think about it).

Click through here to Children/Fashion/School Uniform and if they supply your school you can order everything online. If in doubt and you need something in a hurry you should call them, as not everything is always in stock - in which case the delay can be for weeks. In the boyswear collection there’s also a high quality navy blazer and trousers and blue and white shirts.

So, as I said above, no more queuing the week before school goes back for John Lewis’s excellent range of uniform. Here you can choose from their excellent and carefully edited range of blazers, shirts and blouses, skirts, trousers, socks and tights. They show you straight away how many of anything they have in stock, and offer an express delivery within the UK. Their size guide and uniform check lists are well worth using as well.

You may well already know that you can buy schoolwear from M & S, but did you also know that you can order it online? Everything is well priced and one of the main advantages here is that you’ll find garments that are cotton and wool rich which certainly makes a change from most of the uniforms that are made from man made fibres (although there’s that here too). There’s a pretty ballet range as well.

Schofield and Sims publish a wide selection of dictionaries, posters, homework books, school books, educational workbooks and textbooks for schools and for home education that you can buy online. There are dictionaries and workbooks from early years up to Key Stage 2, pre-school reading books and lots of educational, fun and well illustrated posters. Delivery is free in the UK

Here’s an unsophisticated but well stocked website full of revision guides and books for the learner, some of which start at 6 – 7 years and others which go right up to A Level. There are books for Key Stage One, Sats and 11+ plus early verbal reasoning, posters and learning magnates and a good range of school bags as well.

This retailer offers a wide range of schoolwear, from basic essential such as blazers and rainproof jackets, long and short sleeve shirts and different types of trouser to polo shirts and knitwear in a wide range of colours. The prices here are very good and if you spend over £100 UK delivery is free. They supply specific schools uniforms as well for which you need the reference code and they aim to stock everything they show on the website.

If you get yourself organised in time and get that essential list off your kids, this is one trip you won’t have to make before they go back to school as you can find everything here from files to pens and rulers to glue stick. You will, as I know well, also save yourself a huge (and I mean huge) amount of money as they - yes they - won’t be able to go round with that shopping basket and add in all those little extras which cost a fortune. Definitely try and buy it all here.

On W H Smith's easy on the eye website there’s a smaller range than staples of back to school essentials such as calculators, pens, folders and binders etc but you should find just about everything you need (and the range is growing all the time). As this is not quite such a busy, office based website, you may find it easier to buy here as well.

Although you can order labels from some of the other school uniform retailers listed here, if that all you’re after then come straight to this really well designed website. They offer iron-on labels with or without telephone numbers, shoe and property labels and the woven variety. You can also order personalised ribbon and luggage straps here.

This is a very well laid out school uniform website offering free delivery and pretty much anything you might need for schoolwear including a wide choice of trousers, skirts, fleece tops, waterproofs, sportswear, tracksuits, t-shirts, polo shirts and other uniform basics. Then there are colourful nylon bags and backpacks, swimming bags, painting aprons, ID watches, goggles, sports bottles, name labels and more.