Parents of school children are being advised to cover their children's personal belongings after recent research found that they carry around £400 of items when they go to school, according to Direct Line.

Around 40 per cent of school children regularly carry a mobile phone with them, and 18 per cent have an mp3 player in their school bag. Even more costly are the video game players carried by 5 per cent of the nation's schoolchildren.

According to the study, standard items carried in school bags are books 80 per cent, lunch boxes 66 per cent and gym kit 62 per cent. Add to that the cost of a school uniform, blazer, and trainers, and the true value of possessions when travelling to and from school.

The cost of basic items alone can take parents by surprise, with replacement costs adding up to nearly £100. This is before the value of optional items children might take with them are taken into account, such as mobiles, mp3 players and video game players. Thus parents are being advised to cover their children's belongings under a home insurance policy.

Andrew Lowe, the head of home insurance at Direct Line, said: "Everyone knows that children are expensive, but this survey shows how quickly costs can add up these days, when there's more in their school bag than books and an apple for the teacher.

"Many children misplace even their favourite things, so it's inevitable that school basics will get lost as well. It's a good idea to record your child's name inside their books and clothes, as schools often have piles of lost items but can't return them if they are unlabelled."

Home cover for children's belongings

Mr Lowe added: "Parents should keep an eye on what their children take to school, because the cost of replacing anything that gets lost or stolen can be high. Personal possessions cover on a home insurance policy ensures your children's favourite things are protected, so it's worth checking your policy."

Another insurance provider, AXA revealed that the average cost of a secondary school child's school bag is valued at £244.50, based on average contents regularly taken to school. These included mobile phones which are valued at £50. Trainers or football boots were said to be valued at £40, while a sports kit including tracksuit, shorts and t-shirt were valued at £70.

Books for reading and three text books were valued at £27, along with a pencil case and its contents valued at £25. Their findings also valued dinner money at £10. While the schoolbag itself, was valued at an average of £22.50.

The value of schoolbags increased further, when other items carried were included such as iPods, electronic games or musical instruments, which are often one of the most valuable items taken to and from school.

A third of school children - 32 per cent - play a musical instrument. The average price of one is £128 - although some can cost thousands of pounds. The most popular instrument is the guitar followed by the recorder.

AXA findings shows value of school items

In addition, according to recent findings from AXA nearly 30 per cent of children have lost or broken at least one item from their schoolbag, with a sports kit topping the list. This was closely followed by pencil cases then dinner money, mobile phones and trainers or football boots.

Up to twenty per cent of schoolchildren have had at least one item from their school bag stolen either at or on the way to and from school. This leaves their parents to fork out an average of £163 to replace lost, broken or stolen items. The most stolen item on the journey to or from school was found to be a musical instrument.

Steve Hardy, the managing director of AXA Direct said: "We all know children can be expensive, but it's surprising just how much a schoolbag and its contents can add up to.

"And as children increase their interest in using gadgets such as iPods, mobile phones and electronic games, so too will the value of their schoolbag and unfortunately the appeal to thieves go up. Despite this, only about 50 per cent of people actually have insurance that will cover these items outside of the home.

"AXA customers can, with personal possessions cover added to their home insurance, protect for loss, damage and theft of schoolbags, even musical instruments borrowed from school for personal use. So if the worst should happen, parents won't be faced with yet another hefty bill."