Back to school – does your home insurance cover your child’s school bag contents?

With many children starting back to school this week it’s worth considering the value of the contents in your child’s school bag and making sure you have personal possessions cover as part of your home insurance.

The average value of the contents of a school bag is a staggering £400!

According to research by Direct Line, as well as school books and stationery you would expect, over 40% of school children regularly include a mobile phone and nearly 20% have an mp3 player in their school bag.

As Andrew Lowe, Head of Home Insurance at Direct Line, says ‘Parents should keep an eye on what their children take to school, because the cost of replacing anything that gets lost or stolen can be high.

Personal possessions on a home insurance policy ensures your children’s favourite things are protected, so it’s worth checking your policy.’

You can compare home insurance policies on a comparison website or go direct to an insurer, such as Direct Line.

As well as the school bag of course, there’s the cost of other key items that get carried to and from school – the uniform, blazer, trainers and other sports kit. The costs of these mount up before you add on the optional items.

As Andrew Lowe also points out ‘Many children misplace even their favourite things, so it’s inevitable that school basics will get lost as well.

It’s a good idea to record your child’s name inside their books and clothes, as schools often have piles of lost items but can’t return them if they are unlabelled.’