At Plymouth High School for Girls, this commitment was brought to life as students were given the opportunity to speak with BBC Spotlight; the organisation’s daily bulletin for news in the South West of England.
The BBC visited the school to gather students’ thoughts on a recent announcement from the U.K. government; a plan to ban social media use for under 16s and implement further restrictions to protect those aged under 18.
Drawing on the views of some of our Year 9 students and sixth formers, the discussion reflected a balanced and thoughtful response to the proposed policy. They spoke confidently about the potential benefits they could see for themselves, as well as the challenges of enforcing the ban nationwide, and how younger children may find ways around it.
Orlaith, a Year 9 student, spoke about how the proposed ban would help regulate her sleep schedule and encourage her to find new interests.
“I’ll definitely be going to bed earlier and probably have more clubs and things to do away from home.
“It’s not something I can do to relax anymore so I’ll have to find other ways to entertain myself”.
Students such as Jessica, also in Year 9, recognised the planned change as ‘a really big difference’ for young people, while Year 9 student Annabelle believed there’d be ‘some really good benefits’ of a nationwide ban.
The students weren’t just speaking up about the potential benefits and drawbacks of a ban; they highlighted the reasons why young people spend so much time on social media, including Year 9 student Ella.
“People spend so long on there because there’s not much funding in other things for young people.
“Stuff like parks and youth groups have very little funding and children do often go to social media as a way to let go”.
The changes won’t just affect those under the age of 16. sixth formers like Plymouth High School’s Head Student team reflect on the proposed restriction being considered to protect under 18s.
Beatrice, one of the Deputy Head Students, predicted that people ‘will push back on it’, and Zara, a Deputy Head Student who works on inclusivity and diversity, recognising how her generation are ‘digital natives’ having always grown up with technology and it being the norm in daily life.
The proposed ban is expected to have a significant impact on children across our trust as Simon Underdown, Headteacher of Plymouth High School for Girls was keen to highlight the importance of safeguarding in the modern world.
“The dangers can be so significant that a ban will protect young people from what can happen to them by bad actors being involved in their feed or trying to contact them. We do need to protect our young people”.
Mr Underdown’s comments reinforce the complexity of the issue, and alongside student’s perspectives, emphasise why critical thinking skills are so important in an increasingly digital world.
For Plymouth High School for Girls, this was more than just an opportunity to express their views in a news feature, it demonstrated how student voice is embedded into everyday life across the Thinking Schools Academy Trust.
By encouraging students to engage with complex, real-world issues, we empower them to think independently, be their best self, and take an active role in shaping the society they want to be a part of.