A good student planner is more than just a homework diary. It’s an invaluable tool to support, guide and instruct pupils, helping them to achieve success in everything they do.
Bespoke student planners offer many advantages over unpersonalised options. With a range of layouts and custom pages to choose from, you can tailor your planner to the unique needs of your school.
If you’re wondering how to create a student planner that will help your students reach their full potential, read on. In this guide, we will explore eight of the most important things to include in a custom student planner (UK).
1. School Details, Times and Term Dates
Your student planners should serve as an important reference point for all things school-related. The first section should include the school’s address, telephone number, email address and website, along with any other important details.
Term dates and school holidays for the upcoming year should be clearly listed, as well as a daily school schedule including start, finish and break times. This will help your students to stay organised and help with time management.
2. Rules and Policies
It’s important to publish all key school rules and policies in your student planner. This ensures they are easily accessible and can be referred to whenever necessary. For example, you may include rules on:
- Attendance and punctuality
- Presentation and homework
- Rewards and punishment
- Valuables and lost property
- Breaks and food
- Bullying
- Online safety and home learning
You should also incorporate your code of conduct, detailing the standard of behaviour expected from every pupil.
3. School Uniform and Equipment
Every personalised student planner should contain detailed information on school uniform and PE kit requirements. As well as specifying the colour and style of each garment, include any relevant policies on shoes, hair, jewellery, outerwear and accessories.
Along with uniform, don’t forget to list all equipment that students are required to bring to lessons. This may include things like stationery, textbooks and mathematical tools such as calculators and protractors.
4. Subject Teachers and Timetable
It’s important to provide a space for students to record the names of their teachers, along with which subject they teach. This makes it easier for students and their parents to know who to contact regarding lessons, homework and exams.
All student planners should also include a blank timetable for each pupil to fill in with details of their classes. This should feature an easy-to-read layout, allowing students to quickly see their schedule and prepare for each day’s learning activities.
5. Diary Pages
The heart of the student planner is the academic diary. Most schools dedicate 2 or 3 pages to each week, though this can vary. You should ensure students have sufficient space to record:
- Homework assignments
- Deadlines and exams
- Upcoming events and extra-curricular activities
- Notes, reminders and targets for the week
- Parent and teacher comments
With a bespoke student planner, you can customise your diary pages according to your personal needs and preferences. This includes personalising the layout and choosing your preferred colours. Get in touch with Penstripe today to find out more.
6. Study Skills
While strictly optional, including a study skills guide in your planner can greatly assist in the academic development of students. Teaching them valuable study strategies can help to nurture pupils into becoming independent learners.
For example, your planner may incorporate tips on planning work, note-taking, managing revision schedules and forming healthy study habits. You may also include information on different learning styles and memory retention strategies, such as mind maps and flashcards.
7. Reference Materials
Enrich your custom student planners by adding a reference section containing helpful educational materials. For example:
- Important mathematical formulas
- English grammar rules
- Lists of commonly misspelt words
- A map of the UK
- The periodic table of elements
- Key historical dates
Secondary school students may also appreciate sections on personal finance, career advice and information about applying to university.
8. Student Wellbeing Tips
Every school should do their best to support the wellbeing of their students. The student planner is not just about academic success, but also about helping each individual to lead a healthy, balanced life.
Practical advice on managing mental health would make a valuable addition to your bespoke student planner. You may include tips on self-care, healthy coping mechanisms and space for students to record what works best for them. This will prove particularly useful during exams, when stress and anxiety are highest.
Create Your Bespoke Student Planner 2023 with Penstripe
At Penstripe, we have years of experience in producing student planners, teacher planners, study skills diaries and more. We specialise in high-quality, bespoke student planners, with a fantastic range of sizes, designs and custom pages to choose from.
Our team of experts are constantly innovating to produce useful new content for our personalised student planners. We’ll work with you to create the perfect student planner, custom printed to your exact specifications. View our catalogue for a full breakdown of the options available.
To learn more about our products or services, contact Penstripe today. Fill in our enquiry form, call us on 0113 231 0995 or email info@penstripe.co.uk.
