How to Organise Kids' School Papers: Clutter-Free Ideas for Families
From drawings of dinosaurs to certificates of achievement, school papers seem to multiply overnight. For many families, it starts as a small pile on the kitchen counter…then suddenly, every surface is covered in school papers, artwork and admin clutter. Sound familiar?
If you’re struggling to keep up with the constant influx of school-related paper, you’re not alone. But with the right approach and a few simple systems, it’s absolutely possible to stay organised, and preserve what truly matters.
In this post, we’ll share expert-approved ideas to help you reduce family paper clutter, create a reliable system for school admin, and store your child’s schoolwork in a way that’s both practical and meaningful.
Why Does School Paperwork Feel So Overwhelming?
Each term brings home a new collection of reading logs, permission slips, spelling tests, and art projects. Without a clear system in place, it can feel impossible to distinguish between what’s important, what’s sentimental, and what’s simply paper for the recycling bin. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure what to keep, store or toss.
This overwhelm often stems from two things:
Unclear decision-making around what to keep
Lack of a designated system or storage solution
By tackling both of these, you can start turning chaos into calm.
Step 1: Create a Simple Sorting Station
The first step in organising schoolwork at home is setting up a designated drop zone or “paperwork hub.” This is where all school papers land before you sort or action them.
Try using:
An in-tray or magazine file for incoming papers
A clipboard or pinboard for time-sensitive items (field trip slips, upcoming events)
A labeled folder for each child to sort things later
Position your station near where school bags are unpacked, ideally in a hallway, kitchen, or utility space. Making this system part of your after-school routine helps keep paperwork from piling up where it doesn’t belong.
If you're looking for a more structured approach, our paperwork organisation service can help you build a system that suits your family routine.
Step 2: Decide What to Keep, Toss, or Store
When it comes to school paperwork ideas, the most important skill is editing. Not everything needs to be saved.
What Should I Keep or Toss from My Child’s Schoolwork?
Use this simple guideline:
Toss: Daily worksheets, old newsletters, anything without sentimental or future value
Keep Temporarily: Reading charts, homework instructions, admin notices (use your folder or pinboard here)
Store Long-Term: Exceptional artwork, reports, milestone certificates, and writing samples that show your child’s growth
A good rule of thumb: keep the pieces that tell a story about your child’s year, personality, or development, not every piece of paper that comes home.
Step 3: Store Long-Term Memories with a Kids’ Memory Folder
Once you’ve selected what’s worth keeping long term, you need a safe and accessible place to store it. That’s where a kids’ memory folder comes in.
This could be:
A simple plastic file folder with tabs for each school year
An accordion-style document organiser
A keepsake box with labeled manila folders
Label by year (e.g. “Reception - 2023”) and include only 10–15 key pieces: a self-portrait, school photo, favourite writing sample, end-of-year report, and one or two pieces of standout art.
This becomes a treasured archive over time, and by limiting the amount, it stays manageable and meaningful.
Need help getting school paperwork under control?
Homefulness offers personalised systems for busy families, from memory folders to full admin zones. Explore our paperwork organisation services to learn more.
Step 4: Set Up a System for School Admin
The real paper clutter culprit? It’s not the artwork, it’s the never-ending school admin.
From school term dates to uniform reminders, it’s easy for those papers to get lost in the shuffle. Here’s how to stay on top of school admin:
Digital Calendar: Enter term dates, events, and deadlines as soon as you get them.
School Folder: Keep one folder or wallet for ongoing reference documents, like timetables, lunch menus, or login details for school portals.
Weekly Review: Every Sunday evening, take 5 minutes to check the school folder and prep for the week ahead.
You can also scan or snap a photo of important papers and upload them to a shared digital folder (e.g. Google Drive or a family planning app) so both parents can access them.
Step 5: Get the Kids Involved
Even younger children can take part in organising schoolwork at home. Let them help you choose their favourite pieces for the memory folder or decorate the outside of their schoolwork box.
This encourages pride and ownership, and helps teach organisational skills early on.
You might ask:
“Which of these drawings do you want to keep?”
“Can you help me label your folder for Year 2?”
It becomes a fun, meaningful ritual, and a lovely way to reflect on their growth over time.
Bonus Tips for Minimising Family Paper Clutter
1. Go Digital Where You Can
Scan or photograph artwork and upload to a digital archive or photobook platform. This is especially useful if you’re tight on space, or want to create a printed book at the end of each year.
2. Set a Monthly ‘Declutter Day’
Choose one day a month to go through papers and do a quick reset. Toss expired notices, sort finished homework, and update your admin folder.
3. Use Vertical Storage
Wall-mounted files or clear magazine holders save space and make papers visible and easy to access.
4. Create One Command Centre for the Family
A small corner or cupboard with a whiteboard, calendar, key hooks, and paper trays can help keep all family admin (not just school) in one place.
Systems That Grow With Your Family
The best systems for school paperwork are the ones that adapt over time. What works for a Reception student won’t work for a teenager, and that’s okay.
As your child grows:
Switch from art-focused storage to academic highlights
Digitise more, reduce the physical files
Introduce more independence with shared planning tools
The key is reviewing and tweaking your system regularly so it continues to serve your family’s needs.
In Summary: A Clutter-Free School Paper System
Let’s recap the five key steps to tackling school paperwork:
Create a sorting station where all school papers land first.
Decide what to keep and toss - curate, don’t hoard.
Use a kids' memory folder to archive only the most special pieces.
Set up a school admin system with digital calendars and a dedicated reference folder.
Involve your child in choosing what to keep and help maintain the system.
By creating thoughtful routines and simple systems, you can keep family paper clutter at bay and make space for what truly matters.
Want to stay on top of school papers without the stress? Our organisers can help you set up a clutter-free system that works for your whole family. At Homefulness, our professional organisers work with families to create beautiful, functional systems that bring calm to even the busiest of homes.
Get in touch today to learn more, or explore our blog for more home organisation tips.