Gadgets for goalposts as pupils pack bags with tech

This means the contents of school bags across the country are worth nearly £1bn, but are often being left unattended and used, for example, as goalposts for games of football.

New research released by the Money Advice Service claims one child in ten aged six to 10 takes an electronic tablet to school, while over half of 11- to 16-year-olds take a smartphone.

And 22 per cent of mothers say their child’s items are worth more than those they carry in their handbag. Just 16 per cent of parents have personal possessions insurance that covers all the contents of a school bag, while 50 per cent of those with personal possessions insurance say they do not fully understand it, the study claims.

The popularity of personal devices such as iPads, smartphones and MP3 players means schoolchildren carry, on average, at least one electronic item with them to school.

Jane Symonds, head of service delivery at the Money Advice Service, said: “Electronic devices are so integral to our everyday lives now.

“It’s incredible how quickly they have become ‘must-have’ items – even for children as young as six years old.

“It’s easy to underestimate the cost of replacing them or to simply forget to update your existing insurance cover to include newly-purchased gadgets.

“Given how attached we get 
to essential items such as smartphones or e-readers, it’s worrying how many parents don’t fully 
understand which valuables are covered by their insurance policies.”