Latest news with #schoolculture
BBC News
26-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Disrespectful culture' at school rated inadequate
A school in which the use of misogynistic language was found to be "commonplace" has been rated "inadequate".Ofsted inspectors who visited The Oldershaw School in Wallasey, Wirral, said the offensive, derogatory and misogynistic language that was often heard "typified the disrespectful culture" at the MP Dame Angela Eagle said she was deeply concerned about Ofsted's "alarming" findings at the co-educational academy, which was rated "good" following a previous inspection in Oldershaw School said it had a "no tolerance approach to any form of disrespectful language between students" and was determined to make improvements. Labelling the school as "inadequate" in four of five areas, Ofsted said "profanities, offensive and derogatory language linked to misogyny are regularly heard".Labour MP Eagle said: "Young people only get one chance at their education, and they deserve far better than what is currently being delivered."She said the offensive language comments revealed a "toxic culture" within the school. The Ofsted report said pupils' behaviour in school corridors was "often boisterous and chaotic" and that "many pupils struggle to conduct themselves in an appropriate and respectful manner".Inspectors said poor behaviour often went unchallenged by their behaviour was questioned, pupils were often described as "confrontational, defiant and, at times, rude".The report said many pupils were not happy at the students were said to be wandering around the school instead of attending school was criticised for having low expectations for pupils and poor academic outcomes. 'Persistent absences' The report said the academy trust and the school itself were "too accepting of the barriers that hinder school improvement" and have been "too slow to drive forward the change that is needed to ensure that pupils receive an acceptable standard of education".It said both absence and persistent absence rates remained "unacceptably high", particularly for disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).It said nearly half of the school's 836 pupils were persistently school was also criticised for its lack of focus on said "A very high proportion of pupils struggle to read and a significant minority are in the early stages of reading."The school's sixth-form provision is due to close this academic year, with it currently only having students in Year said she "condemned the failings of the school's leadership, academy trust, and governing body in the strongest possible terms".She said she hoped they would work constructively with the Department for Education to implement the necessary changes "to ensure that the children of Wallasey receive the high-quality education they are entitled to". 'Confronting attitudes' The Oldershaw School said more than 60% of its students qualified for free school meals and more than a third received SEND said improvements were being made following the inspection."Many of the issues highlighted in the report are long standing, particularly those around published outcomes," the school said in a statement."Over recent years the school has appointed a high number of well qualified, hard working and passionate staff who are focussed on improving the provision for all of our students."It should be mentioned that improvements in student personal development were noted in the report."This school, like all schools nationally, has to confront attitudes that exist in the wider community." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
International Schools Partnership named among the Middle East's best school groups for teacher wellbeing, working environment and culture
GCC: International Schools Partnership's (ISP) schools in the UAE and Qatar have been named among the world's best schools for teachers to work at. ISP earned Best School to Work Certified Group: Middle East status for its exemplary work in building the very best school culture and working environment and for placing the wellbeing of its staff front and centre. The Best School to Work programme is the gold standard of school culture. Developed by T4 Education in collaboration with its community of over 200,000 teachers and school leaders, it is an independent, evidence-based mechanism to certify schools for their working culture, helping them to create environments in which education flourishes because educators thrive. School groups can only attain Best School to Work Certified Group: Middle East status if over half of their schools in the Middle East are certified as a Best School to Work after scoring highly in a detailed, anonymous staff survey. This recognition is a reflection of ISP's sustained efforts to prioritise the wellbeing and development of its staff. From organising physical fitness activities and routine health checks to hosting sporting events and interactive wellness sessions, ISP adopts a holistic approach that ensures team members feel both valued and connected. Dedicated Wellbeing Weeks are observed across all schools, encouraging staff to focus on their mental, emotional, and physical health. These efforts are further supported by access to professional coaching and development opportunities, including Leadership 401 training, which helps educators pursue their goals in a safe, supportive environment. In addition, many staff members have received training in mental health awareness and wellbeing, empowering them to recognise when colleagues, students, or parents might need one-to-one emotional support. This culture of care is reinforced through regular newsletters, employee appreciation awards, staff discounts, and social events, all contributing to a workplace where people feel recognised, engaged, and included. Bharat Mansukhani, Divisional Chief Executive Officer – ISP Middle East & Asia said: 'The region, and particularly the UAE, continues to lead in driving meaningful educational reform, consistently striving to raise standards and improve outcomes for students and schools alike. It's within this progressive environment that ISP proudly took part in the Best School to Work programme, a natural step aligned with our strategy, which places equal emphasis on student success and staff development. At ISP, we are committed to nurturing the world's most curious and confident minds, and that begins with creating a workplace where our educators feel valued, supported, and empowered. Earning this certification is a powerful reflection of that commitment and reinforces our ambition to be the school of choice for both students and teachers across the region.' Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and Best School to Work, said: 'Congratulations to ISP Middle East on attaining the highly coveted Best School to Work Certified Group: Middle East status. Through your outstanding leadership, you have shown that a commitment to your staff is the secret to ensuring a great education for your students. It is my hope that this mark of distinction will put your school on the map and allow you to recruit and retain the very best educators in the UAE and Qatar. And I hope you inspire many others to follow where you have led.' How Best School to Work certifies schools: Once a school signs up to the Best School to Work programme, T4 Education sends all of its teachers a detailed, anonymous survey to independently assess the school on four pillars: Leadership: T4 Education examines the many factors that make great school leadership, from having a vision to communicating it well and leading by example to build a culture of trust and respect and also providing good professional development opportunities for staff. Collaboration: T4 Education takes a forensic look not just at schools' teaching community and their collaborative efforts to reflect, grow and share best practices together, but the wider ecosystem around the school including students, parents and the community at large. School Environment: T4 Education delves deep into schools' working environments, looking at inclusivity and positivity, support for staff, and good relationships between colleagues. Professional Wellness: T4 Education grades schools on staff wellbeing, workload and contracts and remuneration. The answers given by all teachers to the different questions are weighted using an algorithm to produce a final score. Only the highest-scoring schools achieve certification under the Best School to Work programme and only groups that see over half of their total number of schools certified can become a Best School to Work Certified Group. For further information, please contact: Salman Shaheen - salman@ About International Schools Partnership: Moved by curiosity and empowered by self-confidence, students from ISP Schools thrive throughout their lifetime. International Schools Partnership (ISP) is a global community of over 100 international schools across over 25 countries. We champion a transformative approach to learning that goes beyond the classroom. By igniting our students' curiosity and growing their self-confidence, we empower them to become the next generation of changemakers. Our unique approach to learning recognises our students as collaborators in the learning process. We focus on developing the knowledge and lifelong skills that help them thrive beyond their time at school. ISP students benefit from teaching excellence, international opportunities, and careers guidance. Our schools have access to a global network of experts and our teachers and leaders are supported to continuously improve through extensive professional development programmes. ISP Schools in the Middle East include The Aquila School, Nibras International School, Star International School, Al Twar, Star International School, Mirdif, The English College and Smart Vision School in Dubai; Aspen Heights British School and Reach British School in Abu Dhabi; and The Hamilton International School, Park House English School and Durham School for Girls in Qatar. ISP. Where confidence grows. About T4 Education: T4 Education believes every child, everywhere, deserves a good education. It is building the world's largest community of teachers and schools to achieve this. Its digital media platform provides opportunities for educators to network, collaborate, share good practices, and support each other's efforts to improve learning and school culture. It works to amplify teachers' voices because the world we want to see will only be built by listening to those at the heart of education. For media enquiries, please contact: Janine Alamir
Geek Wire
29-05-2025
- Health
- Geek Wire
The right call? A year after school's phone ban, educators and parents love it, but kids aren't so sure
Following a smartphone ban implemented at Seattle's Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, administrators say students are more socially engaged. During a recent lunch, some students participated in name-that-tune while would-you-rather questions flashed on a big screen. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) At a recent lunch period at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, kids scarfed down their spaghetti and sandwiches so they could snag a spot at the foosball and ping pong tables. They went outside to play co-ed volleyball or shoot hoops and kick soccer balls. Indoors, school principal Zachary Stowell grabbed a mic to emcee a round of name-that-tune. The library was open to provide a quieter space. A few students still had laptops out and were using them alone or in groups. Not a smartphone in sight. Nine months ago, the Seattle school implemented one of the strictest phone bans in the city's public school district, requiring its 755 students to lock up their devices in pouches for the school day. Eagle Staff is part of a broader experiment playing out nationwide and even globally as teachers and administrators struggle to manage the distractions and disruptions caused by kids' phones on campus. Eagle Staff's leaders and parents say the new rules have made a huge difference. 'It has truly shifted the culture of school and the ability for our kids to be kids,' said counselor Carley Spitzer. 'There is so much more joy and connection.' But the response from students is mixed. And early research shows that the impact on emotional and mental health benefits is muted — with some students reporting higher levels of stress without their devices. When it comes to bans, 'the teachers really like them,' said Lucía Magis-Weinberg, a University of Washington assistant professor studying cellphone policy impacts. 'Students, not so much.' Benefits reported by instructors at Eagle Staff and elsewhere include fewer disciplinary issues, less disruption in classrooms, and more time for instruction. Kids are engaging with each other. Disagreements that might have escalated into full-fledged fights when the phones came out to capture videos now fizzle out faster. Restrictions vary across Washington, and state officials have asked school districts to come up with their own rules for the next academic year. Seattle Public Schools leaves it to school administrators to set campus policies, and 'is currently evaluating whether a district wide 'away for the day' cellphone policy is necessary,' said a spokesperson by email. 'As part of this process, the district is conducting thorough research and analysis to understand the impact of cellphone use in schools.' However, data on the issue is limited, and not entirely clear. Eagle Staff Principal Zachary Stowell in front of his office whiteboard, which includes a quote from a student commenting on how the school's phone ban changed interactions, saying, 'people are not who they used to be.' (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) Preliminary research results Magis-Weinberg is a developmental psychologist and head of the International Adolescent Connection and Technology Laboratory at the UW. At the start of this school year, she launched a study on the impacts of smartphone rules at multiple middle and high schools in Washington. The policies included everything from all-day bans to varied restrictions during lunch and passing periods. Magis-Weinberg is collecting data through surveys sent out in December and January, as well as recently issued end-of-the-year questionnaires. Roughly 4,400 students, teachers and parents responded to the initial inquiry; Seattle Public Schools are not part of the research. Preliminary results echo the responses from Eagle Staff educators and parents. Teachers reported feeling less stressed and said they're more effective in the classroom without phone-related disruptions. Passing periods between classes are louder now that kids are interacting more in person. Parents have needed to find alternate ways to communicate with their kids during the school day, but it's working out. Students were a different story. Some of the 3,700 respondents said there were academic improvements when phone use was curbed, but most did not report emotional, mental-health benefits. Early results found: 15-20% students said there were improvements in their attention, ability to get work done, and understanding of instruction 10-15% students reported a worsening of emotion regulation and stress, and a loss of agency and personal authenticity Lucía Magis-Weinberg, University of Washington assistant professor in psychology and head of the International Adolescent Connection and Technology Laboratory. (UW Photo) 'I thought their stress would go down,' Magis-Weinberg said. Results finding that their stress has gone up without the phones 'was very, very surprising' she said, 'and again, super preliminary.' But the outcome actually aligns with the findings from a British study that's billed as the first in the world to examine the impact of school phone rules on student academics and mental health. The research included 1,227 students age 12-15 and was published in April in the Lancet's journal for European health policy. 'There is no evidence that restrictive school policies are associated with overall phone and social media use or better mental well-being in adolescents,' the study's authors wrote — but that wasn't the whole story. The researchers did find that increased time spent on phones and social media 'is significantly associated with worsened outcomes for mental health and well-being, physical activity and sleep, and attainment and disruptive [behavior].' Victoria Goodyear, the study's lead author, told the BBC that the focus needs to be on reducing the overall usage of phones, adding: 'We need to do more than just ban phones in schools.' Magis-Weinberg is continuing her research, and future studies of smartphone policies could look at academics, disciplinary actions, and mental health — lines of inquiry beyond self-reporting that may include a biased take from the students. 'As a developmentalist, it doesn't surprise me that adolescents are pushing back. Their response, perhaps, is a way to express themselves,' Magis-Weinberg said. 'They might feel they're losing their autonomy, their capacity to make choices.' Eagles Staff students are playing volleyball, soccer and foosball at lunch, instead of turning to phones. (GeekWire Photos / Lisa Stiffler) Mixed marks from students If students could vote on whether to end the smartphone ban, 'they would definitely vote to bring them back,' said Suvuka Whittecar, an eighth-grade Eagle Staff student, while taking a break from PE. She agreed there was less conflict at school, that she was having longer conversations with friends, and that most students were following the ban. But there was the stress, she said, of using and tracking the fabric pouch used to lock up the phone. 'It feels like another problem I have to deal with, and I have to return it at the end of the year,' she said, just as she does the school-issued laptop. The pouches are made by Yondr and cost about $25-$30 each. They were bought with PTSA funds and a grant. Students who lose or damage the pouches are asked to pay to replace them. Paultoro Tanaka, a fellow eighth grader, had a different take on the ban. 'I was pretty excited because I don't have a phone,' he said. 'Not having a phone meant I wasn't as connected with everyone, I was kind of left out. But when they did ban the cellphones, I connected with a lot more people.' That said, his friends with phones were not pleased with the new policy. 'They definitely thought it was annoying,' Tanaka said, though at this point, 'everyone's pretty much accepted it.' Eagle Staff counselor Carley Spitzer said the school was under a 'cloud' thanks to cellphone use. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) Parental approval Some Eagle Staff parents also had mixed feelings going into the ban — but they appear more uniformly happy with the outcome. School administration said they haven't received complaints from parents. And Michelle Peters, the school's PTSA president and the mother of an eighth-grader, said the Facebook page for Eagle Staff families has likewise been free of rants over the policy. 'It's like crickets on there,' Peters said. She had anticipated complaints from parents who hadn't been able to reach their kids when someone forgot a lunch or after-school plans changed, but students and their families are able to make calls through the school's front office. 'It's working the way it always has in the past,' Peters said. 'We kind of forgot we had systems in place.' Kids who used their phones to help manage anxiety, maybe by listening to music, are instead offered fidget toys or they can drop into a counselor's office for a music break. The couple of students who need a phone to manage their diabetes are still able to do so. When it comes to safety concerns such as the occasional school lock down, Peters said Principal Stowell has sent quick, clear communications to families. Administrators say it's safer for kids to focus on staff in an emergency, rather than being tuned into their devices. Stowell said the absence of phones cuts down on misinformation and rumors being spread in these situations. If there was a serious emergency, classrooms have devices for unlocking the phones and the Yondr pouches can be cut open with scissors. As Seattle Public Schools considers district-wide policies, it's looking to pilot schools that have tried new cellphone rules, and is analyzing guidance from the Washington Office of Superintendent Public Instruction, the U.S. Department of Education, and national research, a spokesperson said. Before making changes, the district said it will consult with students, staff, families and community members. Eagle Staff administrators acquired foosball and ping pong tables for students after a cellphone ban was enacted. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) 'Choosing the in-person connection' As part of the smartphone ban this year, Eagle Staff's leadership has intentionally supported students in re-enaging with each other. They've scheduled more assemblies and excursions off campus. They recently took the eighth graders bowling — marking the kids' last outing of the year and their final Eagle Staff field trip. The students had an ask for the event. 'They desperately wanted their phones to capture pictures,' said Spitzer, who has been the counselor for this cohort since sixth grade. So she and Stowell laid out the ground rules and expectations, and the kids, she said, 'really rose to the occasion.' The students took photos, but mostly the phones were off to the side, untouched as they snacked, chatted and bowled. Could it be a sign that their digital addiction was a little bit diminished? 'Maybe we have untangled a bit of that messy wiring,' Spitzer said. 'That [idea] they have to be on their phones to be having fun or to feel connected. They were still choosing the in-person connection at the field trip.'
