Welcome to the secondary school that has successfully convinced its students to delete social media and hand in their phones – and the results are showing improvement.
Cumberland Community School has shown remarkable progress in recent years, with their score improving by a grade and a quarter. This achievement places them among the top-performing schools in the UK, consistently demonstrating their commitment to excellence.
The proportion of students who attained a grade five or higher in their English and maths GCSEs surpasses the national average.
Since 2023, teachers have managed to convince students to do something unthinkable during the GCSE exam period – give up TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for a duration of two months.
In Newham, East London, 160 out of the 300 students at the school willingly opted to delete their social media accounts for the year. They also took part in mandatory revision sessions.
In order to avoid any temptation or distraction, many students also agreed to submit their mobile phones while taking exams at school.
In 2024, a total of 120 students actively participated in the program, and the school has already made arrangements to continue the initiative in 2025.
Amin Opayemi and Dania Olajide, students from Cumberland Community School, have made headlines recently.
According to Ekhlas Rahman, the headteacher, the prohibition of social media had a significant impact on the students’ concentration during exam revision. She stated, “The ban on social media was a game changer for us as it resulted in our students being fully dedicated to their exam preparation.”
The cohort of [2023] students who remained committed to their revision and exam preparation achieved significantly better results than what was initially predicted for them. This success was replicated in the following year, with similar outcomes.
Our staff and students deserve immense credit for their dedicated efforts in achieving this remarkable and consistent improvement.
Five years ago, this school was failing its students, leading to a lack of academic achievement that hindered their ability to pursue higher education opportunities.
“Our students now have much greater opportunities as we are among the top performers in the country.”
In 2022, the school made headlines for its proactive approach in addressing truancy. Teachers were dispatched in a unique ‘battle bus’ initiative, where they personally visited the homes of students to ensure they were awake and ready for school in the morning.