New technology, with its boundless resources for learning, has certainly changed education for the better. Still, there is no denying that quality stationery is as important as ever in engaging and inspiring children. Isn’t it astounding how fast the new stationery that you started the term with just…disappears?
All too soon, the neat ranks of shiny supplies are decimated and you risk lessons faltering as the teachers scrabble around in the heaps of detritus for that one piece of vital equipment.
Lidless and dried-up glue sticks and felt-tip pens, rubbers picked to pieces and then pocketed, never to be seen again – the stubs of pencils that have been sharpened down to a mere couple of centimetres in length (After all, sharpening pencils is such a great excuse not to start the assignment!)
Let’s not forget the dry wipe markers that are used along with pupils’ individual whiteboards (all that doodling when they are supposed to be listening uses up the ink rather quickly…) The scissors that have had one too many run-ins with the PVA glue and no longer open, far less cut…and this list wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the blessed Blu Tack - the time-saving favourite resource for teachers and classroom assistants who want to quickly get the latest artwork by the budding Picassos up on the wall, lickity-split.
So, how to keep on top of this rapid exodus? Here are some tried and tested methods that may help this term to be the start of a better-organised school year!
1) Sort what you have!
It may sound obvious, but we all know that if you can’t see what you already have, there is no way you will be able to accurately predict what you need to stock up on! Sort the stationery into distinct sections and where necessary, decant them from their packets into clear tubs so you can see what’s there at a glance. Gratnells Trays or the Really Useful Boxes range are just the job for this.
Make each section easy to access to try and avoid people having to move stuff around to get at what they need, creating confusion where there once was neatness and order!
2) Notepad in the Stationery Cupboard:
Place a notepad (or oversized post-it note pad) in the stationery cupboards and get staff to write on it anything they need or notice is running low. Alternatively create a ‘hit-list' of common items that are rapidly used up and get staff to highlight the items they need more of.
Either method provides a quick visual guide and should help prevent anything being overlooked in the weekly stock take. However, the additional benefit is that you can physically check that the item really is running out and they haven’t just been looking in the wrong area which saves buying too much of any item!
3) Is there an App for That?
Buying a full stock management software package would really be overkill, but there are more modern tools you can make good use of, especially in larger schools. List-building and communication apps such as Wunderlist and Trello work on desktops and smartphones, great for capturing those away-from-the-desk thoughts and things to remember. There are many other tools you can make sure of, from Google Docs to SmartSheet to Excel – just ensure it is user-friendly, quick and easy for staff to use.
It could save wastage of vital funds - one class may be re-ordering coloured pens while another class has too much stock. Having an effective stock management system across the school can save a lot of money and ensure each teacher has the resources they need.
4) Buy quality stationery!
Schools have to spend their budgets wisely but buying the cheapest products at all times won’t always get you value for money. Quality will often pay for itself in surprising ways.
Not only are sub-standard quality products frustrating to use but if something feels cheap and disposable, people will treat it as such! Inevitably your turnover of stationery will increase, whereas quality products last longer and can actually save you money in the long-run.
There you go – four real-world methods you can use to reduce supply headaches this autumn term. Which ones will you implement?
Remember, Paper Plus keep a vast stock of school supplies ready for quick delivery. Stuck? Give us a call right now, we’ll be happy to help you!