Throughout the month of November, Godolphin School introduced a ‘No Phone November’ campaign in order to reduce the amount that mobile phones are used by staff and students. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the negative impacts that an unhealthy reliance on our devices can have on our wellbeing.
The official Godolphin policy on mobile phones already limits their use during the school day unless permitted during an activity or lesson by a member of staff. Nevertheless, members of the school have been encouraged to leave their mobiles out of reach and embrace a month of fewer screens even outside of school hours.
Mrs Green, Pastoral Deputy at Godolphin School, has hailed the initiative as a success:
“The ‘No Phone November’ campaign has been wonderful for increasing the girls’ awareness of how reliant they can be on their phones and it has been satisfying to see that the use of mobiles around the school site has actually dropped. Above all, we are actively working to cultivate a safe environment for our students, and that necessarily includes educating the girls about best practices online.”
In tandem with the No Phone November campaign, Godolphin also organised presentations by Charlotte Robertson, one of the ‘Digital Sisters’ of Digital Awareness UK. The sessions aim to promote smart and safe social media use, and to equip students to use and enjoy technology safely. Charlotte discussed the importance of e-safety with students and advised them to resist using their devices for an hour before sleeping.
Godolphin School hopes that the No Phone November campaign sets a healthy precedent to ensure that all members of the school’s community continue to feel safe online, and feel able to take a break from the hectic world of digital technology.