Highclare School
2017
Achieving Individual Excellence
SPRING ISSUE
Welcome to the Spring Issue Pupils discuss politics with the Speaker of the House of Commons As the developing capability of mobile technology continues to add value to our lives in many ways, for instance in our ability to connect with each other and access information, it is clear that the benefit of having it close to hand is going to continue to grow. However, despite the remarkable power of these devices, within the educational world we continue to entertain serious misgivings in relation to some aspects of their use.
I was reading recently of a fellow headmaster of a secondary school in the south of England who took the decision to introduce a ban on mobile phones carried by the pupils. Despite much uproar and pupil condemnation at first, the school quickly settled down to the new regulation and got on with it – to much reported success. We should not really be surprised by this. At Highclare School we would agree with the apparently draconian step of barring their use. In the Senior School we do not allow the pupils to have their mobile phones with them in the daytime, and have not done so for many years. The pupils must check them in / out with their form tutors at the beginning / end of each working day. We have a slightly different system for the 6th form but pupils in Year 7 to Year 11 must comply with this – no exception. In our two junior, infant and EYFS settings, mobile phones are simply not permitted in the normal course of events. It is not a controversial thing with us in the Senior School because of one universally recognised benefit: it allows us to get on with the task of educating the children, in the way we believe best, with minimal outside distraction. Educational psychologists would advise that the pupils, free from the stress of social media, are more able to concentrate on their studies. Anecdotally we would confirm that the pupils, relieved of the pressure of constantly having to ‘showcase’ their lives on line, fret much less about what might be posted or written by others or, indeed, themselves. Moreover, the children improve their ability to engage in social dialogue – a fundamental communication skill – as a result of spending more time having actual conversations and interacting, in real time, with their fellow classmates. I am sure, also, that they see more of the world that is going on all around them. I would be the first to recognise that there is a role for mobile technology as a teaching aid. The connectivity and access that it facilitates continue to grow in importance and to evolve at an almost unbelievable rate. We use it in school to both support the teaching and learning experience and to help prepare our pupils to successfully take their place in an increasingly digital world. On a daily basis, though, the School continues to be a mobile-free zone. Best wishes Dr R Luker - Headmaster
Exciting News Look out for our new app, being launched in the summer term
A group of Highclare School U5 and L6 students, together with Head of Law, Mrs Embury, travelled to London to take part in the Erdington Youth Parliament event courtesy of Jack Dromey MP. During the day, our young people were engaged in various discussion groups which focused on such pertinent issues as youth unemployment, homelessness and the effects of Brexit on young people in particular. Our young people threw themselves into the experience and contributed well to the group discussions. As a result of the Brexit discussion and a request to understand more about what it entails for young people, Jack Dromey has promised to visit local schools in the near future to deliver a talk on the subject. He confirmed that he is very anxious that all young people are as well-informed as possible about a future outside the EU. Students also spent over an hour in the company of The Right Honourable John Bercow MP, the Speaker of the House of Commons, whom they found to be very informative and engaging. The group reported that they thoroughly enjoyed their day and are extremely grateful to have been part of this wonderful experience.