Pens and Gardens

In this modern world with ever-changing technology, I quite like the fact that in schools at least we still value the humble pen. A pen is required for most students to access the learning in lessons, and by using a pen we have the best chance of knowing if a student’s work is actually their own and not that of a machine.

For as long as I can remember we have expected students to have a pen with them for every classroom based lesson, and students should be given a ‘strike’ if they don’t have one. However, it had become clear that in recent months the application of this rule had gone a bit fuzzy. Teachers, for all the right reasons, were lending out or giving pens whenever needed and not always issuing strikes. Although well intentioned and understandable in the moment, this generosity has some negative consequences. Firstly it brings in an element of unfairness. It’s not fair if my teacher gives me a strike for forgetting my pen, but my friend’s teacher lets them off. Secondly, if we just keep on giving out pens, then what are we communicating to the students? Maybe that being organised and ready to learn doesn’t matter – and that worries me. Finally, we are not the kind of school which can afford to hand out thousands of pens each year. We do support some families who need equipment and that’s right and proper, but it’s not sustainable in the long term to issues pens to hundreds of kids every day forever.

So, this year, I asked staff to be consistent with the ‘pen rule’. By all means lend pens if a child needs one in a lesson, but issue the strike to go with it. We also communicated to students a different way of looking at this issue. Rather than bring one pen that might go missing, the message is to bring THREE pens to school. ‘One to use, one to lose and one to lend‘. Don’t get me wrong, all that students absolutely have to do is to have a working pen when they need it – we are not checking that they have three – but the message to bring three seems to have really landed. My colleagues tell me that the starts to lessons this term have been transformed. No more chorus of ‘can I have a pen please miss‘ in the first five minutes. Just well organised students cracking on. So, parents and carers, please can you support this new mantra? Three pens is the way forward. One to use. One to lose. One to lend.

Secondly this week I’d just like to draw your attention to a lovely project that our students in Elements took part in last summer, working with a local ‘Marple Men in Sheds’ group to create a new garden area. Supported by Oliver’s Dragons and Wire Fence Supplies, the students and volunteers have done a great job. You can see some pictures of the work taking place here.

Wishing you all a great weekend,

Joe Barker

Share!