In September both of our daughters will be at secondary school, something that seems to have come around very quickly. Our eldest Edith will be entering year 9 and from here I think things will get a little more serious!

From year 7 there is more homework and more time needed for independent study. It can be a bit of a shock to go from hardly any homework to an hour per evening! We believe it's important to create a good environment for them to sit down and crack on with it. Edith got her bigger desk the summer before she started secondary school and it has been such a good investment. It has meant she has the space to work in her room away from us and the noise of the house! One thing I have been unable to control though is how tidy it is! Edith has not inherited my love of organisation, yet!

Maggie also has a double desk in her room, though it's currently more of a 'creative space' than a work space! We will need to reconfigure it slightly to ensure it's not overrun with posca pens!!!

If you're about to enter this next stage we thought it would be helpful to put together a list of questions to answer when choosing the perfect desk for secondary school.

Where will the desk go?

If you have space we would always suggest putting the desk in their room just so it's a quieter environment for them away from other family distractions. Communal spaces are obviously fine, but just think about noise and where is less busy particularly in the evenings.

It may seem obvious but because they all use computers now to do their homework make sure you position it near some plugs!

Is it big enough to accommodate everything?

When our girls were younger they had different desks which were smaller. They were great at the time but wouldn't have seen them through secondary school. When thinking about a desk for 11+ you need to think about the work space and it needing to house a laptop or computer and exercise books all at the same time. You will probably want some pen pots too and maybe space for a desk lamp. The ability to spread out is key, you can never have enough workspace!

Will it last?

Another consideration is the height of the desk. You obviously want something that is comfortable now, but also a desk that will last and not need replacing. Ideally whatever you buy now you want to last them into adulthood.

When looking at the height, check the floor to underside of the desk measurement just to ensure there is enough leg room. Anything around the 75cm total height mark should be perfect for now and the future.

Do you need storage?

When they get to secondary school there is a lot more 'stuff' both in terms of stationary and exercise books! If you don't have anywhere else to house these then it might be important to consider storage with a desk. Luckily lots of the vintage desks we buy have either drawers, shelves or a lift up lid with storage underneath.

Need help choosing the right desk?

Over the last ten years we have sold hundreds of desks and helped so many customers pick the right one for them! If you need advice therefore please do just drop us an email. We have lots of desks in stock at the moment so do take a look at our desk and workshop pages online. If you can't find what you're looking for we could help you source it! Again, please just email us and we can discuss options.