Umbrellas to borrow

Source A: A small shelter at the door — an original student council proposal

Our school would like to place a stand of loan umbrellas near reception. Pupils and visitors could borrow one for an unexpected shower and return it on their next visit. The idea is modest: a short journey to a bus stop or a nearby meeting should not become uncomfortable merely because the weather changed after somebody left home. The stand would make a useful shared resource visible at the moment it is needed.

We could begin with donated umbrellas in usable condition. Each would carry a clear school label and a number, and the stand would explain how borrowing works. We are not proposing that reception staff track every movement. A simple record of how many leave and return could show whether the supply remains useful. A borrowed umbrella might come back a day later than planned and still serve many people over a term.

Some losses are likely. That is not automatically a reason to reject the scheme. Shared pencils and books also need replacing. We should decide in advance what level of cost the school can support, rather than treat one missing item as proof that people cannot be trusted. Donations may help, but they should not become an excuse for maintaining no replacement plan.

We would also ask borrowers to return damaged umbrellas honestly. A broken frame should be taken out of use, not left for the next person to discover in the rain. Student volunteers could check the stand at agreed times with staff support. The proposal is about practical kindness, not a competition to display the fullest stand. If every umbrella remains indoors throughout a wet week, the collection may look successful while failing to help anyone.

Source B: Plan the return as well as the loan — an original reception-team response

We welcome the intention behind an umbrella stand, but the entrance is already a busy place. Wet umbrellas need somewhere to drain without narrowing the route or leaving a slippery patch beside the desk. People arriving during a shower may need help immediately, which is exactly when a complicated borrowing form would be least useful. Any scheme must fit the work and space that already exist.

Counting loans and returns can reveal movement, but not every difficulty. If the same two umbrellas are borrowed repeatedly while others are awkward to carry or hard to open, the total will not explain that difference. Some donated umbrellas may be unsuitable from the start. Checking their condition before adding them would be better than assuming that a donation is automatically ready for use.

Clear labels and numbers should help, yet a borrower may leave school by another exit or return after reception has closed. The return arrangement needs to be as obvious as the stand. We should also explain that an empty stand means there is nothing available, not that staff are responsible for finding an alternative immediately. The service cannot promise shelter to every person on every wet day.

We favour a limited trial with a named staff contact, a practical location and agreed volunteer responsibilities. Ask borrowers whether they found the umbrella useful and whether returning it was straightforward. Record broken items and costs alongside the loan numbers. We do not need to collect a detailed account of everyone's journey. The decision should concern whether the benefit justifies manageable work and expense. A good intention becomes a dependable service only when somebody knows what happens to a wet, damaged or late-returned umbrella.

You are a student representative. Write a report to the headteacher evaluating the proposed umbrella-loan scheme and recommending whether and how to trial it.

Use your own words and base your response on both sources. In your response:

• evaluate the likely value and practical difficulties of the scheme
• recommend a manageable trial and explain how its success should be judged

Write about 250 to 350 words. Up to 10 marks are available for reading and up to 25 marks for writing.