DUNRAVEN EDUCATIONAL TRUST
Spotlight December 2024 / Issue 7
WELCOME TO OUR WINTER ISSUE Dear Families I’m delighted to welcome you to the autumn edition of Spotlight, our Trust newsletter. Its aim, as ever, is to give you a flavour of the many things that our young people have been involved in over the course of this term. I hope that you find it engaging. A reminder that you can see more of what the students have been up to via the ‘twitter’ (known now as X) feeds for each school. I’d be interested to hear your views about whether we should stay with ‘twitter’ given the concerns raised about the platform and its behaviours under (now not so) new ownership. This is something for us to review in 2025. I continue to be impressed and inspired by the wide range of opportunities that our schools offer to our young people, both academic and social. Arts, sports and outdoor learning compete with subject-related events to engage students’ attention. Before and after school as well at weekends, our staff go above and beyond what’s expected to enrich the main school offer. This term has been topped off with winter fairs, seasonal music concerts, carol singing and, of course, delightful early years nativity performances. The headteachers have had discussions with parents who support the ‘stick to bricks’ campaign for mobile phones. This campaign encourages families to delay getting their children a smartphone until they are old enough to manage the consequences of having one (age 14+). There is a clear sense that primary aged children and younger teenagers don’t need a smartphone; a cheaper ‘brick’ phone allows them to call and text to keep in touch without the hazards that can come with having an internet-connected device. The recent documentary series ‘Swiped - the school that banned smartphones’ highlighted the real benefits of children going without a device. A summary of the findings is here. Better sleep and a more positive frame of mind seem a good trade-off for simply using phones less often. It seems appropriate to remember we’re in the season of giving. So, I’d like to thank those who give their time and expertise to our schools as governors and trustees. And to those parents who give their active support to school events such as the ones described above. These things make more difference than you might know. Above all, to our staff teams who give, day in and day out, to ensure that our children have the best possible education and the best chance to develop as fine young people. With all good wishes for a happy, restful and safe Christmas break. David Boyle CBE CEO vector credit Vecteezy.com