Pastoral Care

Pastoral report

As mentioned in the Assistant Principal’s report, the social media delay is designed to give young people more opportunity to build connections and develop the skills to analyse what is presented on these platforms online.

Whilst the ban affects social media, we do know that young people still spend hours on other applications on their phones, texting, searching the web and on chats, and many are spending over 6 hours a day on their device. We also encourage you to carefully monitor your daughter’s phone use and encourage real world connections.  

Some social media / technology tips:

Technology, in particular apps and social media are designed to be used regularly - the more we use them, click and tap notifications, and get ‘likes’, the more our brains ‘reward’ us with a rush of dopamine or the ‘feel good’ chemical. So this leads to continued use, and we may come to crave that feeling, and spend more time online. Hence it is important to manage and balance time on technology with time away from technology.   

How? 

• Have a digital sunset - family area where devices are put to charge at a designated time, outside bedrooms
• Connect before ‘connecting’ - make face-to-face conversations priority 
• No-device-dinner - prioritise human connection over digital use 
• Use timers - to allow designated phone use time. Give children a warning when their time is running out.
• Turn off notifications - this interferes with socialisation, homework, and work; and the constant interruption is distracting
• Social media as a reward - schedule time for students with their phones, once homework is completed 
• Blocking apps - phones have apps which you can download to block/use parental controls on student devices. You can always use designated time to switch off the Wi-Fi
• Mirroring - take your own social media break (young people mirror habits). If you’re always scrolling, they will see it as acceptable behaviour 
• Managing Screen time

Whilst challenging to do, it is important that you assist your daughter to engage in balanced time between screen and non-screen time, and encourage students to keep this separate from their study and homework time. Engaging in other activities, outdoors and face-to-face time can have major positive effects.

Sarah Charles

Director of Pastoral Care