The Most Expensive School Items Irish Parents Need to Protect 

The new school year is well underway, and for many Irish parents that means hundreds of euro worth of new school essentials are now making their way out the front door every morning. 

From laptops and smartphones to bikes and musical instruments, today's school run can involve some surprisingly valuable belongings. At OUTsurance, we know that protecting these items isn't just about preventing theft. It's also about understanding what is and isn't covered when valuable belongings leave the home. A home insurance policy can provide cover for household contents, but certain valuable and portable items may require additional consideration. 

Our latest analysis suggests that some of the most expensive items heading to school are also among the easiest to lose or have stolen, and often the least protected. 

The school items that could cost the most to replace 

Digital devices are now the single largest expense facing secondary school parents. Some 57% of parents are required to buy a laptop or tablet for their child, at an average cost of €447. Some schools are asking for devices costing as much as €850. 

Add in smartphones, bikes and musical instruments, and many pupils are leaving home each morning with several hundred-euro worth of easily resold property in their schoolbag or on their bike rack. 

Here are some of the most expensive back-to-school items that may need protection. 

1. School-issued or required laptop/tablet | average €447

Laptops and tablets have become an increasingly important part of school life, with devices often required for project-based coursework. While the average cost is €447, some higher-spec devices can cost as much as €850. 

2. Smartphone | €600-€1,000+

For many secondary school pupils travelling to and from school independently, a smartphone is now an everyday essential. Mid-to-high-range models typically cost €600–€1,000 or more, making them one of the most valuable items a child may carry on the school run. 

3. Bicycle | average €500

For pupils who cycle to school, a bike can be another significant investment. According to Garda figures, the average value of a stolen bike in Ireland is €500, although some school-run and commuter bikes are worth considerably more. 

4. Musical instruments | from the low hundreds

For children taking part in school orchestras, bands or exams, a musical instrument can be another sizeable expense. Entry-level instruments typically start in the low hundreds of euros, with costs rising sharply for anything beyond a beginner model. 

5. Schoolbags, sports gear and incidentals

These items may individually be worth less than a laptop or bike, but they can easily be overlooked when considering insurance cover. Schoolbags, sports equipment and other everyday items can also be misplaced regularly, potentially adding up to a significant cost over time. 

The costly mistake on the school run 

It's not just what's in the schoolbag that needs consideration. It's also where those valuables are left. Something that parents might not consider a risk; leaving valuable items visible inside a parked car during the school run. 

That could mean a laptop bag left on the back seat while a younger child is being walked into school, a phone left on the dashboard during a quick drop-off, or valuables left in the car overnight on the driveway. 

Central Statistics Office figures show that 7,796 thefts from vehicles were recorded in 2024, up from 7,351 in 2023. Thieves typically target cars where a laptop, phone or other valuable can be seen through the window, taking only seconds to steal them. 

Bikes are another consideration. Garda figures show that bike theft peaks specifically during the July to October period, coinciding with the return-to-school season when bikes are more likely to be left locked outside school gates. 

What does a home insurance policy actually cover? 

Protecting belongings isn't only about preventing theft. It's also about understanding what happens if something does go wrong. Under a typical home insurance policy, laptops, tablets and mobile phones can be treated differently from everyday contents. They must be individually specified on the policy schedule to be covered when they're outside the home, and are explicitly excluded from "unspecified" portable items cover. 

This means a school laptop or phone that was never added to the schedule may not be covered if it's lost, stolen or damaged away from home – something many parents only discover when they try to make a claim. 

The same principle applies to bikes. A bicycle is typically only covered for theft or attempted theft if it was securely locked or kept inside a building at the time. A bike left leaning unlocked outside the school gates for a few minutes would usually fall outside cover. Be sure to check if your home insurance policy includes the option to upgrade loss or damage to garden and leisure equipment, designed to be left outside your home.

Car-based theft cover can be just as specific. Loss from a parked car is generally only covered if every window, including the sunroof, and every door was locked, and the item was fully concealed in a closed compartment or the boot. This means a phone or laptop left visible on a seat, even in a locked car, typically wouldn't be covered. 

Simple habits can help protect back-to-school valuables 

As Ian Kennedy, OUTsurance Chief of Marketing explains, a few small changes to the school-run routine can make a difference: 

"Every September we see the same pattern, parents spend a huge amount of money getting their children ready for the school year, then unknowingly leave that investment exposed. A laptop bag on the back seat, a phone on the dash while you run in to drop off a younger child, a bike left unlocked outside the gates for five minutes these are the moments thieves are waiting for. 

None of this takes long to fix. It's about building a habit: take valuables with you, or lock them out of sight in the boot, every single time, even for a two-minute stop. And for bikes, a good quality lock secured to a fixed point is worth far more than the cost of the lock itself. 

We'd also encourage parents to check what their home and car insurance actually covers when it comes to school devices, bikes and instruments. As some policies have single-item limits that a laptop or a decent bike can easily exceed, which can come as an unwelcome surprise after a theft." 

OUTsurance's tips for protecting back-to-school valuables 

A few simple precautions can help reduce the risk of losing some of the most expensive school essentials: 

• Never leave valuables visible in a parked car, even briefly. Bags, laptops and phones should be stowed in the boot before arriving, rather than after parking. 

• Lock bikes to a fixed point with a quality D-lock, ideally in a visible, well-lit area. Bike theft peaks during the July through October school-return period. 

• Photograph and note serial numbers for laptops, tablets and instruments, so they're easier to identify and report if stolen. 

• Register bikes with a serial number scheme, which improves the chance of recovery if stolen. 

• Avoid routine patterns where possible, such as always leaving a car unattended in the same spot at the same time each morning. 

• Most importantly, make sure everything is insured. Checking the policy and ensuring valuable items are covered appropriately can help avoid an unwelcome surprise if something is lost, stolen or damaged.