Mission impossible
The brief to Service was to design a document,
which had clear paperwork and a bag for the confiscated item. It had to be simple to use by teaching and support staff alike.
The creative wheels at Service HQ started to turn.
Three different prototypes were tested.
The final product was a triumph, consisting of
these
elements.
2-part NCR set
- to allow the school to give a copy of the paperwork to the pupil and retain the other part
With a bag attached
- the Bag is welded to the paperwork and ensures
the confiscated item is visible and secure
Sequence numbered
- to ensure that the
school maintains a
good, formal system
of paperwork
Signature box
- the pupil signs in one
box when the phone is
confiscated
- the pupil/parent/
guardian signs another
box upon collection.
The feedback for the new product has been excellent, meaning that the form has now been rolled out to other schools and colleges.
“Teachers feel a lot safer with this system, because a confiscated item won’t now be lost by the school."
Brenda McGuire, school secretary.
“This is a much more official system, because of the numbering and receipt copy,”
says teacher Karen Graves,
“I would definitely recommend this product to other schools.”
It’s very easy to be envious of schoolteachers if you focus on those fantastic holidays.
But the grass is not always greener. Imagine controlling a classroom of 30teenagers. That is challenging enough, but consider the problems of dealing with the issue of mobile phones“Mobile phones are a massive problem and I
confiscate them on a regular basis. One lesson I
confiscated eight.”
“Seven of the kids fetched them at lunchtime but I still
had one which I didn’t notice until I got home. I wasn’t
able to return it until after school the following day, by which time there had been parental
complaints and an almighty row.”
