No. At JCG, technology is a valuable learning tool, but it is only one part of a rich and varied school day.

Research¹ highlights an important distinction between using a device purposefully to support learning, such as following a recipe in Food and Nutrition, recording and analysing a skill sequence in PE, or collaborating on a piece of work, and passive recreational screen use. At JCG, the iPad is used when it adds value to learning, not as a replacement for teaching, discussion, practical experiences or human interaction.

Students experience a broad curriculum that naturally limits time spent looking at a screen. For example, Year 7 students enjoy three PE lessons each week, alongside Drama, Art, Music and Outdoor Education. Similar opportunities exist throughout the college. Across all subjects, lessons typically involve a wide range of activities including teacher explanation and demonstration, class discussion, paired and group work, practical tasks, questioning, retrieval practice, note-making and independent thinking. Much of the most effective learning happens away from a screen.

Equally important are the many opportunities students have to connect with one another throughout the day. Our no-phones seen environment at break and lunchtime encourages students to talk, laugh, play, join clubs, build friendships and engage fully in College life. These unstructured social moments are an important part of growing up and contribute significantly to students’ wellbeing, confidence and sense of belonging.

When combined with movement between lessons, practical learning experiences and regular social interaction, this variety ensures that students are not spending extended periods of time looking at their iPad screens. Instead, technology sits alongside, rather than replaces, the diverse learning and social experiences that are central to a JCG education.

Students have always found ways to be distracted in classrooms. Unmanaged, iPads also offer opportunities for students to be distracted, from receiving notifications, to emails, to browsing online. This is why we have a policy that all student iPads at JCG are managed using JAMF and Apple Classroom; through these, we can support students by removing distractions during lessons and provide tools for teachers to support constructive iPad use in their classes.

Students experience a hybrid diet of which technology is an essential but not exclusive part. Often students will use their iPads to access the learning resources, giving them choice and allowing them to work at their own pace, while writing in exercise books. This can include extended pieces of writing. At other times, students will annotate texts or undertake other activities on their class Notebooks. This balance has meant that our internal monitoring, including of students with access arrangements, has not indicated any weakening of hand-writing speed or accuracy as a result of using devices in class. In addition, research² indicates that while hand-writing has cognitive benefits for learning over typing, the benefits apply irrespective of whether the writing is via pen/pencil or digital pen.

Reading for pleasure is hugely beneficial for developing students’ language, vocabulary, empathy, interests and understanding of the world⁴. Our English Department and school Librarian drive a passion for reading that last year led to students across all year groups participating in the Carnegie Shadow Jury project in which they shadowed the main jury in the UK, reading all the shortlisted YA books. We curate high-quality literature for English lessons in Years 7-9, and students read these books and create their own podcasts. Students are expected to keep journals of their reading. In addition, reading is an expected part of homework in Year 7. iPads can provide important opportunities to support reading, by making online libraries available, and accessing JSTOR to read key research articles. Students also have access to alternative and supportive reading materials such as audio books.

We maintain a busy learning environment, in which iPads are one tool for learning among many. Where students are working with their iPads, their screen use is active and intentional. Regular breaks during the day and changes of activities within lessons ensure regular screen breaks. Our Digital, Health and Resilience Strategy describes how fostering healthy digital habits and resilience is integrated across the curriculum (https://jerseycollegeforgirls.com/jcg/college-life/digital-health-resilience-and-skills).

Thoughtful and directed use of technology at JCG develops students who are agile with technology, and discerning about the tools they use. They leave us well prepared for a world in which technology is fully integrated in almost every sphere of life. In addition, through the huge number of opportunities to be involved in sport, drama, music, public speaking, activism, clubs and subject-specific competitions JCG students have more opportunities than ever to develop a broad range of interests to balance and enhance their studies.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the way we access information and is used by teachers and students every day.  In June 2026, we organised and hosted the Education in an AI World conference, bringing together leading educationalists, researchers and technology specialists to explore the opportunities and challenges that AI presents for teaching and learning.

Building on the insights gained from this event, our staff expertise in AI continues to grow. We are actively exploring ways in which AI can support high-quality teaching, enhance learning, and improve efficiency, while maintaining a clear focus on ethical use, academic integrity and student wellbeing.

However, the ready availability of AI models to students does not necessarily mean that students learn more deeply or more quickly; often it can mean the opposite, creating an illusion of learning with little or no lasting benefit. Students in Year 7 and 8 do not need to use AI models in order to master and excel in their school work. For older years, students can benefit from targeted use of AI to receive feedback on their work and develop deeper understanding. Students in Year 10 , 11, and 12 receive seminars from Elevate Education on the ethical, purposeful use of AI to support their studies, and we encourage teachers to model these positive uses to students.

Recent media coverage has rightly encouraged schools and families to think carefully about children's use of technology. At JCG, we share many of these concerns. Excessive, passive or unmanaged screen use can have negative effects on concentration, wellbeing and sleep. However, educational technology used in a structured and purposeful way is very different from recreational screen use.

Research¹,³ increasingly suggests that the question is not simply how much technology students use, but how they use it³. Watching short-form entertainment content for extended periods is a very different experience from annotating a text, receiving feedback from a teacher, collaborating on a project, conducting research or creating original work. Our focus is on using technology deliberately and thoughtfully to support learning rather than allowing it to dominate learning.

We therefore take a balanced approach. We embrace the benefits that technology can bring, while continuing to value handwriting, reading physical books, practical experiences, discussion, critical thinking and personal interaction. Our aim is not to educate students through screens, but to educate students for a world in which technology is an increasingly important part of life, work and society.