The Hidden Price Of Lost Property In UK Schools

In February this year label planet ltd (the creators of stikins® name labels) asked UK primary schools to respond to a lost property survey. They found that two thirds of schools consider their lost property problems to be medium or severe, and that parents are the most affected group. With the survey results in and the analysis done they are sharing the data and conclusions to help parents and schools.

NANTWICH, England, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hidden Price Of Lost Property In UK Schools

As a new back to school season approaches, UK schools face another year struggling with a hidden crisis. Lost property creates angry parents, upset children, and frustrated staff while wasting precious time, resources, and money – despite a readily available solution.

A recent survey by Stikins® revealed that schools are overwhelmed by lost property, with one school describing it as "an ongoing battle", while another reported that "children will smell items to see if they are theirs".

In the survey, 2 out of 3 schools reported significant lost property issues despite 98% of schools collecting and storing lost property. While 88% of schools recognised labelling as the top solution to their lost property problems, only 3% reported that most school kit is actually labelled.

90% of schools reported that the bulk of their lost property is made up of top layers, like school jumpers, closely followed by outerwear, like coats. Both items are also among the more expensive items that parents buy, as jumpers are commonly required to carry a school's branding.

While school staff bear the brunt of the day-to-day problems, including both the physical resources and emotional fallout involved, ultimately parents are paying the (completely unnecessary) price for the UK's lost property problem.

While parents are keenly aware of the costs involved in sending their children to school, few seem aware of the hidden costs of lost property – and just how likely it is they will end up paying to replace items that are barely a year old.

Some parents write their child's name into their belongings, without realising that most pen inks fade over time. So, while school kit makes it safely home for the first few weeks of school, eventually the name will fade and leave items completely unidentifiable.

The best solution for parents, children, and school staff is stick on name labels. They take seconds to apply and ensure that every item is clearly and permanently labelled so they can always be returned. As one school explained: "All labelled items make their way back to the children…It's only the unlabelled that goes unclaimed".

Full and free survey results : https://www.stikins.co.uk/school-lost-property/

Released by Label Planet Ltd based in Nantwich, Cheshire.

Our objective is to make school uniform labelling simple for UK parents, to make sustainable profits, and to support schools and PTAs with easy fundraising.

Stikins® personalised stick-on name labels are our key product, supplied directly to parents via our website. They help parents solve lost property issues in a simple and effective way and have a unique adhesive developed exclusively for our product, which provides durability during wearing and washing.

We have supplied many tens of millions of Stikins® name labels in the UK since 2004 and are now supplying our second generation of customers. We actively support fundraising in over 2,000 schools, paying commission every November.

If you would like to learn more about us or our products, please visit www.stikins.co.uk

Contact:
David Worgan
***@labelplanet.co.uk

PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/13148691

SOURCE Label Planet Ltd