Every school sends its own list, so start with that. This checklist covers the items most schools in Qatar ask for, grouped by age, so you can see what's missing at a glance.
KG and early years
- Thick triangular colour pencils such as Faber-Castell Jumbo Grip, which are easier for small hands
- Wax crayons, for example jumbo wax crayons
- Glue sticks, such as the Fantastick 22g glue stick
- Round-tip safety scissors like Maped Kidikut
- An eraser and a sharpener with a container. A double-hole sharpener handles both thick and standard pencils.
- A folder or document bag to carry work home
Primary school (Grades 1 to 5)
- HB pencils, such as the triangular Faber-Castell Grip 2001
- Erasers and a sharpener with a container
- 12 to 24 colour pencils and a set of sketch pens
- A 30 cm ruler from our rulers and geometry sets
- Glue sticks and scissors
- Exercise books and notebooks
- A display book or clear folder for worksheets
Middle and secondary school (Grades 6 to 12)
- Blue and black pens. Quick-drying ballpoints and gel pens both work well; our pen guide explains the difference.
- A mechanical pencil in 0.5 or 0.7 mm, such as the Pilot Super Grip, plus spare leads
- A geometry set with compass, protractor and set squares, such as the Helix Oxford maths set
- Highlighters and sticky notes for revision
- Correction tape
- A4 notebooks, or a ring binder with dividers
- A box file for coursework and past papers. Not sure which? Read our guide to files and binders.
Art and design students
- An A3 sketchbook, for example the Sinarline spiral sketchbook
- Graphite pencils from HB to 6B
- Watercolour pencils or paints
- A fineliner or ink pen for outlines
For help choosing pencils, see which Faber-Castell pencils to buy.
Tips that save a trip mid-term
- Label everything with your child's name, including pencils and pens.
- Buy spares of the things that disappear fastest: erasers, glue sticks and pencils.
- Keep a small restock box at home for top-ups during the term.
Shop the full back to school range.