Stationery remains one of the most important aspects of a child’s school experience, and has a lasting impact on shaping handwriting and fostering creativity.

Of course in recent years, the growth of ICT in the classroom has seemed to threaten the use of traditional pens and pencils. But those involved in the stationery sector have seen the rise of ICT as a mixed blessing.

Alex Sinclair, Marketing Manager at The Pilot Pen Company, says, “Nobody has an exact or meaningful measure that will say how ICT has impacted on the sector. Certainly it will have impacted on white board and markers but we are addressing this, as we are about to launch an exciting new product that will make life easier and greener for teachers currently using standard white board markers.”

Peter Jolly, UK Marketing Manager, Duplo International has seen a more positive side effect of the increase in ICT. “The growth of ICT has greatly impacted the technology stationery sector,” he says. “According to research (TeacherNet) primary schools now have on average 37 computers each, 91% have a network in place and 99% are connected to the Internet. This increase in PC usage has resulted in a bigger demand for printers and print-related equipment – which has positively affected our business.”

Others within the industry believe that more computers in the classroom have had a negligible effect on stationery sales. Emma Lawley, Marketing Manager at BIC says, “As far as we are concerned, this (the rise in ICT) has not affected our business or the stationery sector. Still as much stationery is used in schools today as it always used to be. We have certainly not seen any down-turn.”

So what are the current trends in school stationery? Not surprisingly, the preoccupation with all things green has had an impact on this side of the education industry as well.

“Trends come and go but one emerging trend that is here to stay is the need for schools to reduce their environmental impact on the community and its environment,” says Sinclair. “Environmental issues are high on everyone’s agenda and the education sector is looking into how it can become greener by using environmentally friendly practices, materials and products like our BegreeN range, which is helping schools and colleges to achieve their goals. BegreeN is a complete range of recycled products, each containing at least 70% recycled material. Quality, performance and price are the same as our normal range.”

Jolly agrees, “We are finding more and more that education establishments are demanding guarantees that the equipment we supply is environmentally friendly. From the process involved in producing the machine to the recyclability of the product once its life span is over.”

Another related trend is durability – teachers are tending to buy in bulk once a year and demand that their products stand the test of time.

“From BIC’s perspective, we see a big peak in sales in June, as schools order pre-holidays, so that all their stationery is there for the start of the new school year,” says Lawley. “Quality is becoming increasingly important. More and more schools are looking for quality products and buying products that will last for a whole year. Although there may be a small premium, they can be assured that the product will last for the whole school year, rather than low value, low quality products that will result in a repurchase, when budgets may not be available.”

Graham Harrison, Business Education Manager, Staedtler (UK) Ltd has seen a dramatic change in purchasing patterns in schools, “The way schools purchase their stationery requirements has also changed dramatically over the past decade with many schools now only ordering once a year,” he says. “With the emphasis very much on bulk buying, Staedtler classpacks, introduced to offer an economical alternative to buying smaller quantities and also to assist teachers in developing group-based activities, have proved immensely popular. Sales of items in quantities of a dozen have declined dramatically over the past few years while, in 2004, the newly introduced ten gross tray of Noris blacklead pencils was Staedtler’s best selling classpack.

“In a move to reduce unnecessary packaging, Staedtler has recently pioneered reusable tubs for bulk purchases, along with the novel idea of packaging items in Gratnell trays. The sturdy, reusable Gratnell tray is the perfect packaging for premium Staedtler products – ideal for keeping pencils or crayons in, it’s also neat and convenient to store.”

Suppliers have noticed that teachers remain faithful to a brand once they have used it successfully. “We find that teachers are extremely loyal, sticking to brands and products that they like and trust. Again, they do not have the time or inclination to shop around or try new products and suppliers unless there are exceptional circumstances,” adds Harrison.

With shocking statistics regarding numeracy and literacy in UK schools, it is not surprising that traditional skills such as handwriting is now very much back on the agenda. It is here where good stationery really comes into its own. Many suppliers have designed products specifically to help children in this area. “Our BIC Kids range is very popular because some of the colouring pencils and crayons are triangular and so help the children to hold the pens correctly,” says Lawley. “They can write, draw and colour with ease. Some of our fountain pens, such as the X-Pen, also have a special grip to help guide hand and finger placement on the barrel, so making learning to write with an ink pen easier.”

“Writing is an important life skill as well as a unique and personalized form of expression. It’s important that this continues to be recognized. We provide high quality, reliable products for every stage of a young person’s development and for all sectors including writing and drawing. If children learn to use our products from a young age, they are more likely to use them throughout life and this is our challenge,” adds Sinclair.

There is also evidence to suggest that having the right stationery tools actually helps to increase creativity within the classroom. “Stationery can play a vital part in developing creativity of students,” says Jolly. “For example, our Duprinter range is versatile and you can use a variation of paper sizes, colours that can be printed at low cost and different types of paper; an ideal tool for bringing creative design to life.”

That said, there are some things that schools could be doing in order to increase the creative output of their students. “Partner with local businesses and organisations to encourage creative projects for students,” suggests Jolly. “Design projects as part of a curriculum are fun, but to see their ideas evolve into ‘real life’ business material such as brochures or promotional flyers could be a real inspiration. If schools don’t already offer this, after school design and art classes, perhaps with parents could be a good method of encouraging creative thinking,” he adds.

Other companies, such as Bic and Derwent actually provide tips and suggestions. “Our website www.bickidsschoolclub.co.uk is full of tips and ideas that can help provide teachers with creative ideas that they can take into the classroom. For example we have downloads of Halloween facemasks plus competitions for teachers to be able to win BIC Kids products,” says Lawley.

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