Principals Weekly Update

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s vlog. Thank you for joining us.

As always, I’d like to share three key themes from this week: mobile phones, student participation in lessons and Earth Day.

Mobile Phones Update

I’d like to begin with a brief update on mobile phones. As you know, we’ve communicated regularly with parents about our approach, and I wanted to share an important development.

This week, the government announced that all schools must now be mobile-free by law. While this does not change anything for us, as we have already been a mobile-free school since September, using Yondr pouches, it does reinforce that our approach is in line with national expectations and best practice.

We know that smartphones can offer benefits, but there is also growing evidence about their addictive nature, particularly for young people. By removing phones during the school day, we have seen fewer distractions, improved focus and attention in lessons, and positive feedback from both staff and students.

We hope you may also be noticing some positive changes at home. This approach can support families in setting healthy boundaries around phone use, helping to protect students’ well-being.

Student Participation

This links closely to our second theme, student participation.

Following recent staff training, we have been focusing on strategies to ensure that all students are actively engaged in lessons. For example, teachers are asking questions and then directing them to specific students, rather than relying only on volunteers. We are also encouraging every student to contribute verbally at least once in each lesson.

These approaches help ensure that all students are listening, thinking, and engaging with their learning. When students actively participate, they are far more likely to understand and retain knowledge.

We encourage you to continue these conversations at home. Ask your child if they are participating in lessons, if they feel involved in their learning, and what they have learnt this week. Working together with students, parents, and teachers helps us achieve the best outcomes for every child.

Earth Day

This week, it has been a pleasure to share Earth Day with our students through assemblies and form time activities.

Earth Day took place on 22nd April, and this year’s theme is "Our Planet, Our Power." The focus is on empowering individuals and communities to take action and promote environmental responsibility.

Students have been learning about environmental stewardship and the importance of taking responsibility for the world around them. In assembly and form time, they have explored practical actions they can take, both individually and within their communities, to help protect the planet.

These discussions build on learning already taking place in Geography lessons, helping students connect their classroom knowledge to real world issues and understand how they can make a positive impact.