Using branding in the classroom

Branding is about identity, which means it can be a positive force in schools – not just a way to tempt children into buying a particular fizzy drink, says Stephen Lockyer...

I’ve been fascinated by the idea of branding for a long time. I’m drawn to clever logos, am taken by the way companies pitch themselves in the media, and enjoy nothing more than a good cross promotion! Beyond this, I love the way tribalism and loyalty can develop over time: that we can gain a protective passion for our brand, or come to expect a certain standard or quality from a particular company.
 
I once rented a VW camper for a week, and while it drew admiring glances, it was the knowing smile from fellow VW-camper owners that fascinated me the most – that idea of ‘we think the same’. This is a powerful, intangible force, and one teachers can turn to their advantage by branding their classrooms. 
 
Whenever I talk to people about ‘branding’ my classroom, they immediately think I want to cover it in corporate logos. This is not the case. I am talking about branding the class – working out what the class stands for and thinking about how this can be clearly demonstrated.
 
My first effort to brand a class occurred while I was on teaching practice at Hampton Hill Junior School, where I was placed with the pupils of 6S. I loved that class name (try saying it out loud). I began with a chant and it built from there.
  “Who are we?”
  “6S!”
  “And what do we want?”
  “Success!”
 
Huge fun. I wonder sometimes if the fearlessness of teaching practice is what’s missing in schools?
 
The exciting thing about branding your classroom is how it slowly seeps into the pupils’ sense of shared identity. Having a class motto, phrase or slogan may seem trivial at first, but simply repeating the phrase can cause children to swell with pride in a way no pep talk ever could. 
Below are some of the ways in which you can brand your classroom. The idea isn’t to mark out your pupils as ‘better’ than the other children in the school, or to turn them tribal. It’s about building an identity and making it clear what being in that class represents.

Write a slogan

Why can’t a class have a motto? Hang it over your door, repeat it at key times and, eventually, force of habit will cause children to take that message with them through – even once they have moved to another class.
 
This already happens in classes of younger children. I have often heard my daughter come home with phrases her teacher has repeated in an effort to ingrain positive learning and behaviour: “What is sharing? Sharing is caring.” “What works? Teamworks.”
 
The easiest way to do this is to either borrow someone else’s motto (until you find your own) or ask the children – they are never short of ideas. My class this year are 4L, so we came up with ‘Loving, Living, Learning, Legends’. Perfect! As an additional idea, why not use your motto as the signature on class emails? It’s a good way to get parents on board.

Design a logo

The logo can be as simple as the class name. If you have a shape, animal or bird, look up its properties / qualities with the class and see if this provides inspiration.
 
Make those letters and numbers mean something – even a 4 with a smile looks better than just the number 4.
 
I went a little over the top one year and put the class logo on every exercise book and worksheet I used. It meant a lot of cutting and pasting, but the children loved it.

Advertise your values

This is tricky to do, but well worth trying. Ask children to take / find images that represent your values for the year and put these up on your class board. It really helps to highlight these values; challenging children to see who can find the most powerful image makes for a great competition.
 
If you are concerned about cameras in class, have a look at the images on the website CC Search (search.creativecommons.org). This filters images to ensure they are child-safe and copyright-friendly.