This next blog has been written by Ms Baker. Ms Baker is a geography teacher and our ‘Learning beyond the Curriculum’ lead. This year, she is also working with a group of students as part of the Good Life Schools programme. In this blog, she explains what that is and what the group have planned.
Why do we want what we want? What does it mean to live a good life? What power do adverts have over us? What can we do about it?
A group of High Storrs students have been meeting weekly to discuss these big questions as part of our Good Life Schools programme, which aims to spark a movement where young people think critically, live differently, and challenge the consumer-driven world around them. In a time where advertising bombards us from every corner of the internet and social media, many young people feel pressured to constantly buy, compare, and compete. The Good Life Schools programme is flipping the script—inviting students to break free from these pressures and discover a more meaningful, sustainable way to live. We have been exploring the ways in which adverts are designed to target young people and have been building resilience against these tactics. Students are encouraged to reflect on the big questions: What does it mean to live a good life? What really makes us happy?
Our Good Life students have also been working hard to design projects that can inspire change within our school, and spread the message of thoughtful, responsible living. We have plans of an outdoor classroom and social space, as well as a revision resource library for our students to use. We hope that this project will make a real difference to the wellbeing of our students.