East London School’s TikTok Ban Leads to Record GCSE Results
A school in East London saw 160 students ditch social media and excel in their GCSEs, achieving impressive results.
East London, Cumberland Community School, GCSE Results, Social Media Ban, Newham, UK
Newham: So, there’s this school in East London that really shook things up. They got 160 students to delete TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for two months. Can you believe it? And guess what? Their GCSE results went through the roof!
The head teacher, Ekhlas Rahman, called it a “game changer.” With no distractions from social media, the Year 11 students could focus entirely on their studies. It really paid off, as their progress scores jumped by a grade and a quarter in recent years.
In 2023, during the exam period, these students agreed to give up their social media for some serious revision sessions. Out of 300 students, 160 took the plunge. They even handed in their phones during exams to avoid any sneaky distractions.
Last year, 120 students joined in, and the school plans to keep this going in 2025. Rahman said the results were way better than expected for those who stuck to the plan. It’s amazing how much focus can change things!
He also praised the staff and students for their hard work. Just five years ago, the school was struggling, and now they’re among the top performers in the country. That’s a huge turnaround!
Oh, and they made headlines in 2022 too, sending teachers out in a ‘battle bus’ to wake up truants. Talk about dedication!