From the Principal

Over the past two weeks, Girton has been buzzing with colour, laughter and energy as we celebrated our Senior School and Junior School Swimming Carnivals. These days are always a highlight. They’re loud, joyful and full of friendly rivalry, but more importantly, they remind us why Connection, one of our Girton values, matters so deeply. When students cheer for their House, encourage someone who’s nervous about their race or even sit in the shade chatting with friends, they are strengthening their sense of belonging.

Feeling part of something bigger - of a House, a school, a community - is one of the strongest foundations for learning. When students feel connected, safe and seen, their attention expands, their motivation grows, and their ability to engage meaningfully with their learning deepens. That sense of being “all in it together” was evident across both Swimming Carnivals, and it’s this same commitment to creating the best learning environment that brings me to something far less colourful, but just as important: distraction.

I am sometimes asked, “I trust my child, so why is a no phone policy necessary?” The truth is, this isn’t about trust at all. It’s about how the human brain works, and how easily attention is pulled away without us even realising it.

Research shows that phones, even when switched off, in a pocket or face-down nearby, consume cognitive bandwidth simply by being present. One recent study found that a single social-media notification slowed thinking for around seven seconds, and while that may sound trivial, these interruptions are cumulative. Multiply those tiny lapses across a school day and you begin to understand why students who receive frequent notifications struggle to maintain focus. Other forms of distraction can be just as powerful, quietly and continuously splintering focus:

• Smart watches
• Earpods or headphones
• Multiple open tabs or programs competing for attention
• Message pop-ups on laptops
• Cluttered or noisy environments

Each of these pulls students' attention away from the sustained, uninterrupted concentration that deep learning requires. And this is why Girton expects students to keep phones switched off and securely stored during the school day. Every moment of attention matters.

It is also why, this year, we are taking a thoughtful and evidence-informed review of technology use in our classrooms. We want to be sure that our digital education tools genuinely support learning rather than compete with it, and we’ll share our findings and next steps with the community later in the year. For those interested in learning more, I recommend The Digital Delusion by Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, whose research highlights how even well-intentioned technology use can unintentionally undermine long-term learning.

Our students showed us during the Swimming Carnivals what true connection and engagement looks like: cheering loudly, supporting their peers and being fully present in the moment. That’s the presence we aim for in every classroom.

Your partnership makes a remarkable difference. When families reinforce the message that children learn best when their attention belongs to them, not a device or a distraction, it strengthens everything we’re working to build together.

Thank you for your support in helping our students protect their most valuable resource: their focus. 

Dr Emma O'Rielly 

Principal