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8 things to do before the school summer holidays

Blog
The YPO Team
21 Jun 2024

The school summer holidays are a joyful time full of relaxation and time to unwind but returning to school after can be a stressful time. Do you always have a long list of tasks to complete when returning to school after the summer break? Why not tick off some of these tasks before even breaking up!

We are going to cover our top 8 activities for teachers to do before breaking up for the summer holidays.

1. Give your classroom a quick spring (or summer) clean

What’s better than returning home to a clean space after a holiday? We promise you’ll feel the same way about returning to your sparkling classroom after the summer holidays. Spend some time before you break up for the holidays cleaning your classroom and making sure it’s ready for the next term ahead. Have a look around for any often-forgotten areas or spaces, and give them a thorough clean. At YPO, we stock a large range of budget-friendly cleaning supplies, ideal for schools, nurseries and more.

2. Create your dazzling displays

Sorting out displays (and new classroom if you’ve moved rooms) so it’s all done for back to school is a great use of time before the start of the summer holidays. Have a look at what you’ll be covering on the curriculum in the new September term and have a think about some display ideas to fit in with it. You could also create a display to welcome your new class at the beginning of the new term. We stock an extensive range of display supplies, from colourful display paper, to creative bordette rolls. New displays are a great way to refresh your classroom and make it engaging and inviting for your new pupils.

3. Say hello to your new class

There will be a lot of new faces to get to know after the break so it’s always a good idea to say hello to your new class before you break up. Spend some time with their current teacher and observe a lesson or two if you have the time. It’s also a great idea to spend some time speaking to parents after school, to introduce yourself as their child’s new teacher for the September term onwards. It could also be a nice idea to write a short letter to your new pupils that they can take with them over the summer holidays.

4. Help each other out

Teamwork makes the dream work! It’s always a good idea to offer your assistance to other teachers and staff in the school as working together can get tasks completed a lot quicker. Have a think about what communal spaces could do with revamping, any school displays that may need redoing, or team up to tackle any communal areas that may need a deep clean. Work together with other teachers and staff members to ensure the school is ready ahead of the new September term.

5. Reflection

This could be your last year with your current pupils, so take time to reflect on your year with them and discuss the next term ahead. The end of the final term is a great time to reflect on the past year and could include end-of-year classroom activities such as a memory poster, or a classroom discussion about your pupils’ favourite moments over the past year. It’s also a great time to talk about the next school year and discuss any goals your pupils may have for the year ahead. You could talk about any summer plans your pupils might have, too.

6. Have a clear-out

Spend some time before the summer holidays clearing out any overflowing cupboards or drawers. Having a thorough clear-out can help give a better idea of what stock you have in your classroom and helps inform what classroom essentials you may need to order before the start of the summer holidays. Have a count of essential supplies such as glue sticks, colouring pencils, and paper, and see if there is anything you need to stock up on. Having a clear-out also makes it easier to find supplies, and your future self will thank you at the beginning of the new term!

7. Fun time

Don’t forget to wind down and have some fun with your class. The end of the final term is an exciting time for pupils, so make sure to allocate some time towards the end of the term for fun activities, such as drawing, colouring-in, games, and more. You could try creating a fun quiz for your class or spend some time scrapbooking. A popular end-of-term activity is watching a film, so have a few choices and see what your class would prefer.

8. Place your YPO orders

And finally... don’t forget to place your orders with YPO for delivery before the school holidays. Order before 12pm on Tuesday 25 June for Scotland, and by Wednesday 10 July for England & Wales, for delivery before you break up for the summer holidays! Stock up on all your classroom essentials, and make the most of our extensive YPO range, for a cost-effective school supply solution.

Are you open during the summer holidays?

If you’re open for delivery during the holidays and would prefer to have your order delivered then, please fill in our holiday deliveries form, ensuring you select at least 3 consecutive days.

All our delivery information can be found here.

Author

The YPO Team

YPO supplies products and services to a wide range of customers including schools, local authorities, charities, emergency services, public sector and other businesses such as nurseries and care homes. YPO are 100% publicly owned, by 13 local authorities, which means the profits made are returned to public sector customers, delivering even better value for money.