Student Clock (Write and Wipe) for School Maths Lab

Quick Answer: The Student Clock (Write and Wipe) is an individual clock face with hands that pupils set by hand and a surface that takes dry-wipe marker, so each child can set a time and also write on the dial. The write and wipe student clock is used for reading analogue time, matching it to digital notation and shading intervals of elapsed time.

Writing on the Dial

A plain practice clock only lets a pupil point the hands. On a write-and-wipe face the pupil can also add information with a dry-wipe marker: the digital form of the time beside the dial, the minute numbers 5, 10, 15 around the rim, or a shaded sector showing how long an activity took. After checking, the ink is wiped off and the clock is ready for the next question.

The writing surface makes elapsed-time problems much easier to see. If a lesson starts at 10:15 and ends at 11:05, the pupil sets the start time, shades the arc the minute hand sweeps on its way round to 11:05, and counts 45 minutes to 11:00 plus 5 more, 50 minutes in all. Each child holds up the finished clock, so the teacher can check a whole class at a glance.

Because the clocks are individual, they are normally bought in class sets and used alongside one larger teacher clock at the front. Use dry-wipe markers only; permanent markers can leave a stain that spoils the dial.

Specifications

Applications

• Show-me checks, where every pupil sets and holds up a called-out time
• Writing the matching 12-hour or 24-hour digital time beside the dial
• Shading and measuring elapsed time between a start and a finish
• Labelling quarter past, half past and quarter to on the face while the vocabulary is new

Care & Handling

• Wipe the write and wipe student clock with a dry cloth or eraser straight after use; ink left for days is harder to remove.
• If marks persist, a little whiteboard cleaner on a soft cloth usually lifts them; avoid abrasive pads that dull the surface.
• Move the hands gently and never force them past resistance.
• Keep marker caps on and store clocks flat so the hands are not bent.

Why Choose LabEquip

Schools buying for time lessons usually want enough write and wipe clocks for every pupil plus one demonstration clock such as the Geared Teacher Clock. LabEquip supplies both within the Mathematics School Lab Products range, and pupil numbers for a class set can be sent via the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does write and wipe mean on a student clock?

The clock face has a surface that accepts dry-wipe marker. Pupils can write digital times, minute numbers or notes on the dial and then wipe the ink away with a cloth, so the same clock is reused for every question.

How do pupils show elapsed time on the clock?

They set the start time, then shade the part of the dial the minute hand passes as it moves on to the finish time. Counting the shaded minutes, often in fives, gives the time taken. Crossing an hour mark is shown by shading past the 12.

How is this different from a dummy clock?

Both clocks have hands that pupils move themselves. The write-and-wipe face adds a surface to mark on, which suits tasks where pupils must record something, such as the digital form of a time or a shaded interval, rather than only show a position of the hands.

How can the clock help with 24-hour time?

Pupils set an afternoon time with the hands and write the 24-hour form beside the dial, adding 12 to the hour. For example, twenty to five in the afternoon is written 16:40. Writing both forms next to the same dial shows that the hands do not change.

Which markers should be used on the dial?

Use dry-wipe whiteboard markers. Permanent markers and some felt-tip pens soak into the surface and leave ghost marks. Test any new marker on the edge of the face first.

At what age are student clocks used?

Most schools introduce them when pupils learn o’clock and half past times in the early primary years and keep using them through five-minute times, elapsed time and 24-hour time in the upper primary classes.

Last Updated: September 2026