NANTWICH, U.K. - TelAve -- 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.

More on TelAve News

• Crossroads4Hope Marks 25 Years Ensuring No One Faces Cancer Alone At its Inspiring Hope Gala
• Q1 2026 Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report Recaps Advanced Manufacturing Growth, High-Value Jobs and Workforce Investment
• Former Prosecutor Opens Stegall Law in Summerville
• Vboost Celebrates 14 years of Automotive Viral Marketing
• Troomi Ranks No. 1,480 on 2026 Inc. 5000 After 238% Growth

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".

More on TelAve News

• Ignazio Arces Wins Stevie® Award for Maverick of the Year at the 2026 International Business Awards
• Tickeron Highlights AI Trading Agent Performance Across Multiple Market Sectors
• Stop Bleeding Cash on Mediocre Talent. Build a Powerhouse Remote Team Instead
• Crownlight Strategies® Announces Federal Trademark Registration
• New Book Calls 'Sense of Belonging' the Missing Link in Student Success

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