Do Children Need Student Planners for Secondary School?

Secondary School is a time of increased academic demands, extracurricular activities, and social commitments. Managing all of these responsibilities can be challenging for students, and many struggle to stay organised and manage their time effectively.

Student planners have long been used in education to support learners in managing their workload and staying on top of their commitments; but what benefits can they bring to children at an age group that want to do anything but stay organised?  In this article, we explore the potential benefits of using student planners for Secondary School-aged children, considerations for their use, and how Penstripe can help.

Benefits of Student Planners for Secondary School-Aged Children

Using a student planner in Secondary School can bring numerous benefits.

Time Management: A student planner can help Secondary School students to manage their time more effectively by allowing them to schedule their schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and personal time in one place. This can help students to avoid overloading their schedules or forgetting important commitments, leading to better time management and reduced stress.

Assignment Management: Secondary School students are often juggling multiple assignments and deadlines, which can lead to anxiety and a feeling of being overwhelmed. A student planner can help students to stay on top of their assignments, ensuring that they are submitted on time and to a high standard. By recording deadlines and breaking down assignments into manageable tasks, students can plan ahead and avoid last-minute cramming sessions.

Organisational Skills: Good organisational skills are essential for success in Secondary School and beyond. A student planner can support the development of these skills by providing a clear and structured way to record and track commitments. By using the planner regularly, students can develop a routine for managing their workload and develop effective organisational habits.

Responsibility and Independence: Using a student planner can help Secondary School students to take ownership of their learning and develop a sense of responsibility and independence. By planning and tracking their assignments, students can take an active role in their education and become more self-reliant. This is particularly important for students planning on going to college or university after KS4, where a greater level of independence is required.

Our age-appropriate student planners are specifically designed to provide these benefits.

Considerations for Introducing Student Planners in KS1 and KS2

Secondary School students have different needs and learning styles, and their workload can be more complex than that of younger children.

Age-Appropriate Planners: Secondary School students have more complex academic demands than younger children, and their planners need to reflect this. Age-appropriate student planners for Secondary School should have more detailed features, such as sections for recording exam dates and revision schedules. They should also be designed in a way that appeals to Secondary School students, with engaging visuals and motivational quotes.

Catering to Learning Styles: Secondary School students have different learning styles, and their planners should be designed to cater to these. For example, visual learners may benefit from planners that include charts, graphs, and other visual aids. Auditory learners may prefer planners that include reminders and alerts, while kinesthetic learners may benefit from planners with interactive features.

Guidance and Support: Introducing student planners is just the first step; it is also important to provide guidance and support to help students use the planner effectively. Teachers can incorporate the planner into classroom activities and offer guidance on how to use it. Parents can also provide support by checking the planner regularly and offering positive feedback. By providing guidance and support, students can learn to use the planner effectively and develop essential organisational and time management skills. That being said, your students ideally will be familiar with the concept of student planners from their use in earlier Key Stages, so they may not need as much support as a younger child might.

How Penstripe Can Cater to Secondary School-Aged Children

Penstripe.co.uk offers a range of student planners that cater to the needs of Secondary School-aged children. Our planners feature a clean and intuitive layout, with plenty of space for recording assignments, deadlines, and extracurricular activities. We also offer customisable covers, allowing students to personalise their planner and make it their own.

Choose Penstripe

At Penstripe, our goal is to create the perfect student planner for your individual requirements. With a huge range of sizes, bindings and contents, we can create a custom student diary that exceeds your expectations. With a wide range of bespoke pages to choose from, we’ll create the right planner for you. Our handy pocket size planners are becoming ever more popular amongst schools and are a particular favourite with sixth forms.

We create bespoke student planners that last the entire year. Guaranteed. Our team of experts are constantly innovating to produce useful new content that can be added to student planners. See our catalogue for a full breakdown of the options available. Regular engagement with student planners can help to foster a growth mindset, as students are encouraged to take ownership of their own achievements.

Penstripe has years of experience in producing both student planners and teacher planners, and a track record of excellent results. Order your free sample pack today.