P1 pupils to receive free school bags from next year as £2.7m contract confirmed

Free school bags offered to P1 pupils by the Government will cost £2.7 million over the next two years, ministers have said.

Marketing firm APS Group has been awarded the contract to assemble and distribute the Welcome to School Bags, which come in five colours and include essentials such as stationery and a water bottle.

Blue, green, pink, red or yellow backpacks will be available for around 47,000 pupils starting primary one from August 2027.

Education secretary Mairi McAllan said the Government wanted to “ensure children start school on an equal footing”.

“Excellence and equity is my principal ambition for education, and providing every new P1 pupil with a high-quality bag is part of our wider work to remove barriers for all at the very start of their school journey,” she said.

“Building on the success of our universal Baby Box offer, we want to ensure children start school on an equal footing and with a feeling that they belong.

“As well as being available in five colours, children will have the option of adding a drawing to personalise their Welcome to School Bag, to help them start school excited and with all the essentials for their first steps into the classroom.

“These will be delivered in time to be given to children during their transition visits, when the new intake go into primary schools ahead of the summer holidays to get to know their new class.”