Latest news with #FishergatePrimary
BBC News
14-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
The York schools that have banned smartphones
Three years ago, a primary school in York banned pupils from bringing smartphones on to the site. The decision by Fishergate Primary in 2022 was made to improve children's mental wellbeing as well as their Tina Clarke said before the ban, there would be one or two "incidents" involving inappropriate smartphone use every one case, pupils in year 5 and 6 were found to be part of a Whatsapp group containing 100 users, many of them people they didn't know. Parents discovered that racist material was being shared and that bullying and late-night messaging took place in the group."It caused a lot of upset," said Ms Clarke, who added that there had been no "issues" around smartphones since the estimated that out of around 40 children who leave Fishergate Primary for secondary school each year, only 15 now own a smartphone, whereas previously "almost every child" had a said that when smartphones were allowed in the school, children were being made to feel "anxious" when part of Whatsapp groups and would be confronted with large volumes of unread messages."We're no longer having to sort out as many friendship issues, and we've gone back to doing more things outside, like going to the park and having picnics."Many of her pupils go on to attend Fulford School at the age of 11, and the secondary has also now implemented a smartphone added that support further up the educational pyramid had enabled her school's policy to be a success."Some parents have pledged not to buy their child a phone until they are 14, and if other schools support the ban, it makes it easier for families as there is less peer pressure."She also recommended that parents buy "dumbphones", which do not have internet access, for children to use to contact them in emergencies. Fulford School's head, Russell Harris, said he took the decision to enforce the secondary's ban last year to create a "happy and safe" environment after realising that smartphone use contributed to bullying and "negative wellbeing".He said: "The message to those coming here from Fishergate Primary School is that there is no expectation to have a mobile phone at Fulford School."Any mobile device found at the school is confiscated and sanctions are applied to the child."Allowing phones in school causes safeguarding issues and distractions in lessons. Feedback so far has been extremely positive both from students, parents and members of staff."Fishergate recently hosted an event called Safe Screens, which featured technology experts from North Yorkshire Police and the University of York discussing safety around the use of social media with to national charity Parentkind, on a typical weekend 1.5 million children spend more time on phones and screens than they do at school. A survey they conducted last year of 5,490 parents showed 38% of primary school children spend at least three hours a day on a digital device and more than a third of those surveyed said their child is missing out on sleep because they spend too much time on screens. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Free meal scheme expands to third school
A council-run free school meals trial, which is funded by donations, has been expanded with the launch of a breakfast club. The York City Council Hungry Minds programme was rolled out at Fishergate Primary school last week. Head teacher Tina Clarke said the school had previously offered cereals to students who came to school hungry but it came from funds which could have been used elsewhere in school. The Labour-run council said it hoped to extend the scheme to other schools in the city if the funding allowed. Ms Clarke told BBC Radio York: "I'm really grateful that our school was chosen because I know the levels of need some of our families have. "It's something that as a school, with funding as it is at the moment, we wouldn't have been able to offer." Ms Clarke said in addition to getting breakfast, students were also given a chance to socialise before lessons. Teaching assistant Claire Stenson, who runs the scheme, said: "We've had good feedback from some of the teachers that these children have been a lot more settled first thing in the morning." She added: "They're a lot more able to learn." Councillor Bob Webb, executive member for children, young people and education, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he hoped to extend the scheme further this year, but the existing funding model needed to expand to support those plans. "It's a soft start between home and school that offers children a little bit of social time and if a child's had a tough time at home it gives them a space to talk about that too," Webb added. He said the scheme, which has already been rolled out in Clifton's Burton Green Primary School and Acomb's Westfield Primary Community School, was funded through a partnership between the council and local philanthropists. Westfield began offering free lunches to pupils in years three to six from January 2024, with the scheme later extended to a breakfast club offer in Burton Green. The current ruling Labour administration pledged to provide every primary pupil with a free school meal when it came to power in 2023. It comes alongside a government-run national free breakfast clubs early adopter scheme which is funding trials in 750 schools including York's St Paul's Church of England Primary School from April. Webb said: "If that gets fully rolled out we could look at using our resources to top it up." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. 'Life-changing' breakfast club could be extended First 750 schools named for free breakfast clubs Could your school soon be offering a free breakfast club? York City Council
