Engaging students in personalised learning starts with the right tools, such as a well-thought-out student planner. Creating the cover is arguably the most critical aspect of every planner’s design, but with so many student planner covers to choose from, how do you ensure yours stands out?
Below are tips and tricks to help you design a functional cover that reflects your school spirit and inspires students throughout the year.
The Value of a Personalised School Planner Cover
A student planner is more than just a schedule keeper—it’s a constant companion throughout the academic year. A well-designed cover sets the tone for organisation, sparks motivation and reminds students of their vibrant community.
However, a generic, off-the-shelf planner cover can fall flat. Customising the design to reflect your school’s identity, resonate with students’ interests and align with their learning styles can transform a planner into a powerful tool for academic success and personal growth.
Here are some practical guidelines to help you create a one-of-a-kind cover for your school:
1. Showcase Your School’s Identity
A student planner cover is a canvas for showcasing your school’s brand and celebrating its uniqueness. For instance, you can use meaningful mottos, slogans or imagery that captures the school spirit. By incorporating your school’s logo, colours and mascot into the design, you create a cohesive and recognisable look that not only reinforces your school’s identity but also instill a sense of pride and belonging among students.
2. Understand Your Audience
It’s crucial to understand your target audience: your students! Consider their age group, interests and the overall school environment.
- Primary School: For younger learners, playful colours, whimsical characters or even a mascot design can spark joy and make planning feel like an adventure.
- Secondary School: As students mature, their tastes gravitate towards more sophisticated designs. Consider geometric patterns, inspirational quotes or school-specific imagery.
3. Get the Students Involved
The best way to ensure your cover appeals to its target audience is to involve them in the design process. You can gather feedback from student representatives or conduct surveys to gauge their interests and preferences.
Another option is hosting a design competition where students can submit their own artwork or concepts for the planner cover. By giving your pupils a voice in the design process, you’ll create a daily planner they’ll be excited to use throughout the year.
4. Use Digital Downloads and Tools
Take advantage of editable digital downloads and design tools to create a digital notebook cover first. Programs like Adobe Illustrator or Canva offer a wealth of user-friendly features that streamline the process. These tools provide access to pre-designed templates and printable covers, a vast library of fonts and graphics and intuitive editing functionalities, making it easier to bring your vision to life.
5. Celebrate Diversity and Promote Inclusivity
A student planner cover design should reflect the diverse community it serves, celebrating different cultures, languages, backgrounds and perspectives. To create an inclusive cover, consider:
- Featuring multicultural imagery or symbols that represent the varied heritage of your student body
- Highlighting important cultural events or quotes from diverse leaders
- Using clear and large text and contrasting colours for readability
- Including braille elements to accommodate students with visual impairments
6. Incorporate Positive Messaging
Your student planner cover is an opportunity to inspire and motivate your learners throughout the academic year. Consider incorporating:
- Affirmations to encourage students to stay focused and persevere through challenges
- Quotes about growth mindset, resilience or the importance of education
- Reminders about core school values, such as respect, integrity or community service
7. Add Interactive Organiser Elements
Take your academic planner cover beyond a static image and incorporate interactive elements that transform it into an engaging experience. You could include QR codes linking to educational resources or augmented reality features that bring the cover to life.
Think beyond digital and consider sections students can personalise by colouring them in themselves or providing customisable stickers to add some of their own flair.
8. Consider Planner Notebook Functionality
While aesthetics are important, a great student planner cover should also be practical. Here are some key considerations:
- Durability: Opt for a material that can withstand commercial use in schools. Leather covers offer a timeless and sophisticated look, while high-quality cardstock provides a cost-effective option.
- Binding: Silver spiral wire rings allow the planner to lay flat for easy writing, while tough binding is another durable, eco-friendly option. Alternatively, ring binders offer flexibility for adding or removing loose sheets if you have undated planners.
- Size: Pay attention to the dimensions of the planner to ensure it fits comfortably in students’ bags and desks. An A5 size is often ideal for balancing portability and ample writing space.
- Additional features: You can also add functional features like an elastic closure, bookmark ribbon, pen loop and clear wallet for loose pages.
Penstripe: One-of-a-Kind Student Planners From Cover to Cover
At Penstripe, we specialise in creating student planners tailored to your school’s unique needs. Our fully bespoke cover option lets you personalise every aspect, from the front and back designs to the inside cover.
For a streamlined approach, choose from our annually updated pre-made choice of cover designs and add your school’s logo. We also offer year group covers, with different covers for each year group, fostering a sense of progression and accomplishment among students.
Contact us today to learn more about our personalisation options and start creating a bespoke planner to inspire and engage your students throughout the year. You can call 0113 231 0995, email info@penstripe.co.uk or use our quick online form to get in touch.
Olaf Surtees has been with Penstripe for ten years; what he doesn’t know about teacher planners, student planners, and lesson planners isn’t worth knowing! He’s in charge of creating our blog content, helping teachers and administrators with helpful hints and tips, as well as our socials — see the links below to find out more.
