Back-to-School Stationery List for Kids in Pakistan

A back-to-school stationery list for a Pakistani student covers writing tools, notebooks, a pencil pouch, colouring supplies, a bag, a water bottle, and a lunch box. Primary students need around 12 to 15 items, and a complete set usually costs Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 3,000. Buy two to three weeks before schools reopen.

The Complete Stationery Checklist

Start with the list your child's institution sends out, then fill in the gaps from this one. Most lists cover the same core items.

You can pick up the whole list from our supplies and stationery collection, or start from the Back to School page where we group everything by category.

Grade-Wise Lists

Nursery and KG

Keep it simple and chunky. Thick triangular pencils, jumbo crayons, a slate or writing board, a light bag, and a bottle that a small child can open without help. Skip anything with small removable parts.

Class 1 to 3

The core year for stationery. Pencils, erasers, a sharpener, a pouch, lined and four-line notebooks, colouring tools, a glue stick, and safety scissors. This is also when children start losing things, so buy pencils in bulk.

Class 4 to 5

Pens enter the picture, along with a 30cm scale, a rough notebook, and a homework diary. Educational and story books work well at this stage for reading practice outside class.

Class 6 to 8

Add a geometry box, a scientific calculator if the syllabus requires one, subject folders, and a sturdier bag. Bag weight becomes a real issue in these classes, so padded straps are worth the extra rupees.

Class 9 to 10

Fewer novelty items, more consistency. Good pens in bulk, register-style notebooks, highlighters for revision, and a laptop bag if your child carries a device to class.

Writing Tools

HB pencils suit almost every primary student. Triangular grip pencils help younger children hold the pencil correctly, which matters more than most parents expect in the first two years.

For pens, buy one brand and stay with it. Children write more comfortably with a nib and ink flow they know, and refills are easier to match.

On erasers, the cheapest ones smudge and tear pages. A slightly better eraser lasts the whole term and saves you from replacing notebooks. Sharpeners with a container are worth it for classroom rules alone.

Buy pencils and erasers in packs, not singly. Our stationery supplies range is priced for buying a term's worth at once.

Notebooks and Diaries

Check the required page count before you buy. Many institutions specify 60, 80 or 120 pages, and the wrong count means a second trip.

What most students need:

• Four-line notebooks for early English writing

• Single-line notebooks for languages and general subjects

• Squared or graph notebooks for maths

• Plain notebooks for drawing and science diagrams

• A rough notebook for working out, which keeps the neat books neat

• A homework diary if one is not provided

Buy one notebook per subject for the first term rather than a full year's worth. You will know by October which subjects burn through pages. Our notebooks and diaries collection covers the standard rulings and page counts.

Pouches, Boxes and Organisers

A pouch survives being sat on; a hard box does not, but it keeps pencils from snapping. Younger children usually do better with a box, older ones with a zip pouch.

Two things to check: a zip that runs smoothly, since a stiff zip gets forced and breaks by November, and enough room for a 15cm scale lying flat. Browse pouches and boxes.

We also run a pouch with a free 6-piece stationery set as part of our back to school offers, which covers the basics for a primary student in one go.

Colouring and Art Supplies

Art work runs through the whole primary syllabus, and craft materials get requested at short notice more than any other category.

Keep at home:

• Colour pencils and wax crayons, both non-toxic

• Markers for chart and project work

• A glue stick and safety scissors

• Chart paper, foam sheets, and coloured tape for projects

• A tracing or practice book for handwriting

Our colouring tools collection covers pencils, crayons, and markers in kid-safe variants. Keeping a small project drawer at home saves the late-evening dash when a chart is due the next morning.

Whiteboards, Slates and Drawing Boards

A small board is the most underrated item on this list. It costs little, replaces a lot of paper, and works for spelling drills, table practice, rough maths and free drawing.

For nursery and KG, a slate or magnetic drawing board builds hand control before pencil work gets serious. For Class 1 upwards, a small whiteboard with markers handles daily practice.

See our writing boards and slates.

Geometry and Maths Tools

A geometry box becomes compulsory from around Class 6 in most Pakistani syllabi. A complete set contains:

• Compass

• Divider

• Protractor

• 15cm scale

• Two set squares

• A pencil and a sharpener

Check the compass holds its angle before you buy. A loose compass is the single most common complaint about cheap sets, and it makes accurate circles impossible in a test.

Bags, Bottles, and Lunch Boxes

Bags

Padded shoulder straps and a padded back panel matter more than the character on the front, particularly from Class 5 onwards when the load increases. Compartments help children find things without emptying the bag. See our bag collection, and our guide to choosing bags for girls and boys.

Water Bottles

Check the seal and the size. A bottle too wide for the side pocket ends up inside the bag, where a leak ruins notebooks. Our bottles and lunch boxes include 2-piece packs, and we have a full guide to leak-proof bottles.

Lunch Boxes

Compartments keep roti separate from salan. Test the lid yourself before it goes in the bag on day one.

Budget Guide

Treat these as planning ranges and check live prices on the collection pages. Two ways to bring the total down: buy consumables like pencils and erasers in packs rather than singly, and use our Loyalty Cash Back range on the supplies you were buying anyway.

How to Shop in 5 Steps

1. Get the list from the institution first. Page counts, ruling types, and geometry requirements vary, and guessing means a second trip.

2. Check last year's supplies before buying. Half-used colour pencils, an intact geometry box, and a working bottle carry over easily.

3. Buy consumables in bulk, and one-offs carefully. Pencils and erasers in packs; bag, bottle, and box chosen once and chosen well.

4. Shop two to three weeks early. Bags, bottles, and pouches thin out in the final week before reopening.

5. Label everything on day zero. Name and class on every item, before the first day, not after the first loss.

Making Supplies Last the Year

• Write the name and class on pencils, the pouch, the bottle, and the lunch box. Lost property piles grow fast in the first month.

• Keep a small home stock of pencils, erasers, and glue sticks. Restocking the pouch at home beats an emergency shop run.

• Replace the pouch contents, not the pouch. Most pouches survive the year if the zip is treated gently.

• Empty the bag every Friday. Loose papers and old wrappers add real weight by mid-term.

• Store the geometry box at home between maths classes if your child tends to lose things. Only the scale needs to travel daily.

• Buy one spare bottle. Bottles get left behind on trips and sports days more than any other item.

Common Mistakes Parents Make

Buying Before the List Arrives

The most expensive mistake because notebook rulings and page counts rarely match what you guessed.

Choosing the Bag on Looks Alone

Thin straps dig in once books go in. Check the straps and back panel with your hand before buying.

Buying a Full Year of Notebooks in August

Storage space and page use both work against you. Term by term is easier.

Overlooking the Bottle Seal

One leaking bottle can ruin a term's notebooks in a single day.

Skipping the Rough Notebook

Children work things out somewhere. Without a rough book, it happens in the neat one.

Leaving It to the Last Week

Stock on bags, bottles, and pouches is at its thinnest exactly when everyone is shopping.

Shop the Full List at Chase Value

We stock the whole list in one place, from pencils and notebooks to bags, bottles, and lunch boxes, at wholesale prices every day. Start at our Back to School page, browse supplies and stationery, or visit any of our stores across Pakistan.