Latest News
Posted on June 21st 2016
Making Safer Choices 2016
During the week from the 6th of June, Year 9 embarked on Making Safer Choices, a drugs education programme organised by the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation. The DSMF are a local organisation set up by Tim and Fiona Spargo-Mabbs who tragically lost their son, Dan, after he took an unusually concentrated dose of MDMA on the way to a party and died.
Fiona and Tim began the week with a wonderful assembly, opening the eyes of our students to the reality of the risks involved in any drug-taking. They powerfully told Dan’s story and our students were moved by their heart-felt and extremely relevant account.
Afterwards, each day of the week during Period 1 students were out of their normal lessons learning about drugs safety and how to avoid risk-taking behaviour. Students learned about the law, discussed peer pressure and investigated ways to encourage other young people to make safer choices.
On Monday the 13th, Fiona and her team of youth ambassadors – Dan’s friends from school – returned to speak to parents about what they can do to help their children make the safest possible decisions when it comes to drugs and discuss risk factors. The youth ambassadors explained the kinds of pressures young people are exposed to, especially as they get into Year 9 and 10, and talked about the difficulties in being a young person today. The parents who attended took a huge amount from the session and spent an extra hour asking questions of Fiona and her ambassadors.
Overall, the Making Safer Choices programme has been a resounding success and we look forward to continuing it for future Year 9 cohorts.
Charlie Comerford
Head of Social Sciences
