Student's views on a more formal post-16 dress code

Student's views on a more formal post-16 dress code

Introduction.
Year 12 students were recently given an assembly in which they were told that they would shortly receive a survey regarding their attitudes towards a more formal dress code. The words "scruffy" and "offensive" were used to describe the current state of dress, and the general implication was that the code would at some point be formalised. Students were also advised not to vote for the continuation of the current casual dress code. 
The survey itself contained a number of issues (discussed in the next section), which prompted the creation of a second survey to determine student's actual views on dress code. Having collated the results of this survey, I will now present them in the following report.

Why was a second survey necessary?
When the school's survey was sent out, the response from students was overwhelmingly negative, with various messages posted about it on social media. Some students have informed me that they used the comments box at the end of the survey to express their frustration with the survey's various issues, which are listed here:    

• Firstly, in the "suggestions" part of the survey, four dress code options were listed for students to choose between. However, there was no option to maintain the current dress code. This prevented a large number of students from making their desired response, encouraging tactical voting as people who wanted no change in the dress code opted for "A", the least objectionable alternative. This prevented the results of this question from being representative of such people's actual views. It was pointed out to me by one student that allowing for all possible responses is an essential aspect of any survey, and is actually taught to students in year 9 mathematics.  

• Secondly, the "reasons against" question has been described by various students as "incomprehensible",  with some saying that they were unable to understand what the question was asking them. The question, phrased as "which of the following do you feel the least significant reasons for not having a dress code," contained a double negative and also lacked the word "are", which made it extremely confusing to students. This has likely resulted in "donkey voting", in which answers are randomly selected due to confusion at the meaning of the question. Furthermore, some students have even suggested that the question was impossible to answer without supporting a change in the dress code and only arguments which supported a change were listed as options. The question was therefore biased and leading, and will not give an accurate representation of the true opinions of the student body.

• It was also felt that certain questions, including those relating to "Formal Friday", were irrelevant to the question of whether year 12 students want a change in the dress code and were designed to be used by management staff to support such a  change.  For example, if students answer the question "do you think the respect for students dressed for 'Formal Friday' by others is"  with "decreased", it may be implied that students who partake in "Formal Friday" are being bullied by other students (a complete untruth), which supports the suggestion that everyone should wear more formal attire. However, if students answer the question with "increased", it can be implied that wearing formal clothing will make post-16 students better role models for younger students as they hold more respect. This heightened the view among students that the questions in the survey were leading and designed to ensure superficial support for a change in the dress code.  

• Finally, several students in year 11 and year 10 have pointed out that they were not given the opportunity to complete the survey despite the fact that they will be affected by any changes to the post-16 dress code.  For this reason, even if the survey was completely fair and unbiased, it would not give a representation of the views of all the students who would be affected by a change in the post-16 dress code.       

For these reasons, many students felt that the survey was biased and unfair. Clearly, such a survey cannot provide management staff with an accurate representation of the opinions of the student body, making it useless in helping them to come to a decision on what, if any, changes should be made to the post-16 dress code. Therefore, in order for a fairer representation of student voice to be obtained, a second survey was necessary.

What did the second survey entail?

The need for a fairer and more accurate student voice system resulted in two emails being sent to all students in years 12 and 11, as these will be the year groups most immediately affected by any changes.

The first email briefly explained how the school's survey had not provided an option for "no change" to the dress code, and had not given year 11 students a say in the matter. The email provided a link to an Facebook page called "Defend 6th Form dress code", which students were invited to "like" if they felt that the dress code should not be changed. It was made clear in the email and on the page that liking the page entailed support for the opinion described.  This was designed to give some indication of the number of students who supported this view, as this could not possibly be determined through analysis of the results of the school survey.  Incidentally, the page also provided a forum for students to express their views on the dress code and the original survey, and supplied much of the material covered in this report.

The second email provided a link to a single-question survey. The question was "should the post-16 dress code be made more formal", a simple and unbiased question with a yes/no answer. Again, the survey was emailed to all year 12 and year 11 students rather than just students who had "liked" the Facebook page mentioned above in order to avoid bias. Students were also only allowed to answer the question once in order to make it a fair test. This survey was designed to give a more accurate representation of people's opinions regarding the dress code. 

Results of the second survey.

The Facebook page received widespread support from students, and currently possesses 271 "likes" just over two days after being set up. The majority of the support has come from year 12 students, which is understandable as year 11 students have not yet connected with the issue as much because they have not been given an assembly or the opportunity to complete the original survey.  However, 271 out of an approximate possible 450-500 students shows that the majority of students in years 12 and 11 (and a vast majority in year 12 alone) believe that the dress code should not be changed, which should be taken into account by management staff when making a decision on the matter.

With regards to the survey, 224 students have currently taken part. This is a relatively high figure considering that accessing the survey required following a link and entering the details of the student's email account, in addition to some students in year 11 not yet connecting with the issue. The results have been almost unanimously in favour of the answer "no" to the question "should the post-16 dress code be more formal"; 209 (93.3%) voted "no" while 15 (6.7%) voted "yes". This once again shows that the majority of students in years 12 and 11 are opposed to making the dress code more formal. The figures are also startling one-sided, which should be taken into account when making a decision on whether to change the dress code.  Clearly, most students would not support the formalisation of the dress code.

What were the reasons for these results?

While it would be easy to dismiss the views of the student body as reactionary, I was in fact presented with numerous intelligent arguments against a new dress code. I will briefly list some of them here for management to consider.

• The cost of purchasing new clothes will be high and unnecessary, especially for year 12 students who will need them for just one year. It is complacent to assume that all families will be able to afford such expense; several students have already confessed financial worries regarding changes to the dress code.
• To further this point, although it may be argued that these clothes will be necessary on a day-to-day basis for future careers, this is not true of all, or even the majority of occupations. Furthermore, students are likely to grow out of these clothes by the time they need them in the workplace (particularly year 11 students).
• A more formal dress code would suppress people from expressing individuality through their appearance.  The example given to me to support this was people who follow goth culture, but many other simply find uniform or formal attire bland, dull and tasteless. Considering the school's focus on "personal best", surely students should be able to achieve their personal best in a personal way, particularly those who have already proved themselves to be mature and sensible.
• Formal clothing (particularly suits) is often uncomfortable, particularly for growing adolescents. Furthermore, suits require professional washing, which is expensive, and may require more than one wash per week (meaning two suits would have to be bought per student).
• It is currently possible to wear formal clothing within the boundaries of the school dress code. Many students choose to do this, particularly on "Formal Friday". Therefore, formalising the dress code is unnecessary.
• One argument in favour of school uniform is that it removes any divide in appearance between wealthy and poorer students , which discourages bullying. However, as a member of the year 12 community, I have never seen nor heard of any such bullying over appearances. In a school where the vast majority of students are kind and caring towards one another, this argument may be discounted.
•  Management has suggested that a uniform would make post-16 students better role models for younger students. I will not mince my words here: this is quite simply preposterous.  Being a good student role model is achieved through a good attitude to learning and the attainment of excellent results, as well as caring for fellow students and involvements in the wider community. As shown by the school's superb exam results, post-16 students already have a good attitude to learning, which is reflected in classroom behaviour. With regards to caring for other students, as a year 12 student myself I can tell you that the year 12 community is hugely supportive towards one another and never anything but kind. Students also show support for the wider community through the iLeaders scheme and through volunteering. Therefore, post-16 students are already fantastic role models for the lower year groups, and it is both untrue and insulting to suggest that a formal dress code would make students good role models if they were not already.
• Finally, there is no proven correlation between a formal dress code or uniform and attainment of good results. Take, for example, the American schooling system; one of the most excellent in the world yet also famous for its lack of uniform. Furthermore, IGS already achieves great results and post-16 students already have a good attitude to learning. It should be remembered that every student in sixth form is there to learn, but this is being disrupted by the controversy surrounding the antagonising approach management have taken towards implementing a new dress code.  

Conclusions.

The study I have undertaken clearly shows that the vast majority of the student body feels that the post-16 dress code should remain unchanged. Although there are good arguments for formality, most of these become irrelevant in the context of sixth form students at IGS already being great role models with excellent attitudes to learning.

Based on the findings of this report,  I would suggest that management should think long and hard before choosing to antagonise a group of intelligent young people who have had no trouble in seeing through a biased assembly and a carefully fixed survey. 

  

                                                                                                                      

The Hunger Games, Mockingjay Part 1 review: Selling a revolution

As one of the most anticipated films of the year, the third installment in the unstoppable Hunger Games franchise packs a sharper and more intelligent punch than its predecessors, but suffers from the anticipation of the series's climax. While this self-aware media satire spends too long marketing a revolution that never really takes place, a typically indomitable performance from Jennifer Lawrence and some superb supporting roles help make Mockingjay Part 1 a solid entry in the biggest series around.

The Hunger Games has been driven underground, and the grey coldness of District 13 reflects on the film itself; this a darker and more tense picture far from the colour soaked cornucopias of old. Despite its setting in a dystopian future America, the film plays to relevant themes of the power of the media and advertising in its depiction of a revolution about to explode; much of the movie deals with the propaganda sparring between the rebels and the authoritarian Capitol. It's no exaggeration to say that the signature mockingjay pin has become an icon in pop culture, and director Francis Lawrence exploits this to the full by placing a sharp focus on the rebels' attempts to use the symbol to drum up support for their cause. It's a smart choice that's both aware of the current political climate and also aware of itself; that the rebel's propaganda videos share the look and tone of the film's trailer is no gimmick; the film is all the more authentic for such subtle touches. Lawrence is outstanding in a role of contradictions she's honed to perfection over her two years of playing Katniss, both unapproachably prickly and at times deeply moving. Her deliberate woodenness as she's coerced into starring in revolutionary propaganda clad in a Joan of Arc breastplate is a joy to behold and one of the film's best moments. As Effie Trinket squeals,"They'll either want to kill you, kiss you or be you".

Elizabeth Bank's wonderfully comic Effie is just one of several stellar supporting performances, with Woody Harrelson playing a more compassionate, if underused Haymitch and Donald Sutherland as the delightfully evil President Snow. The undisputed star of the supporting case though is the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as ex-gamesmaker Plutarch Heavensbee, a wonderful performance of deft mannerisms and soft wit. Quite how his untimely death will be accounted for in the final film remains to be seen, but he will certainly be missed. It's not all perfect however; fan's won't be pleased with revolutionary leader Coin becoming a lukewarm shadow of her brilliantly detestable role in the novel through the miscasting of  the usually fantastic Julianne Moore. And for all the inventive brilliance of the film's media portrayal, the decision to split the final book into two parts leads to a wildly inconsistent pace that makes a mockery of the movie's tone. The lack of the games themselves also leads to an increased demand for action which is never really satisfied; a few dramatic set pieces don't quite managed to fill the gap. While the two-film structure allows for a tremendous level of detail, it does nothing for the entertainment value of Part 1; too often it feels like a mere build up to next year's Part 2.

It's pace may stumble and it's all in anticipation of Part 2, but this clever satire, with its high level of detail and excellent cast performances, is a worthy third effort in The Hunger Games franchise.

7/10

The Imitation Game review: A moral enigma

As one of the most uncomfortable moments in recent British history, the life of Alan Turing has long proved a difficult topic for filmmakers. A brilliant Cambridge-educated mathematician, Turing is credited with dramatically shortening the length of the Second World War by deciphering the Enigma Code, the apparently unbreakable cipher used by the Germans to send vial military messages. However, Turing led a tragic post-war life, eventually driven to suicide by his prosecution for homosexuality by a police force ignorant of the achievements he was forced to keep secret. This new adaption may lack historical accuracy and is at times morally questionable, but it's a superbly watchable portrait of the life of one of the most remarkable and abused minds of the 20th century.  

Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Turning is the driving force of The Imitation Game; there's a sense that not only is he the best actor for the role, but the only actor for it. An utterly narcissistic sociopath, Turing in many ways harks back to Cumberbatch's Sherlock; cocky, cold and calculated but prone to brief moments of warmth and tenderness. A thrilling script allows for moments of sharp comedy between Turing and his commander, Alastair Denniston (Charles Dance), with the mathematician painted as a fish out of water from his very first scenes on a train packed with evacuee children. Fortunately, a crisp approach to the film's chronology involving regular switching between Turing pre, post and during the war helps expose more of his character and prevents him from becoming the stock socially outcast genius, and Kiera Knightley's fellow codebreaker Joan Clarke plays her part in this too. The closeness between the two reveals previously unseen aspects of Turning's character, but Clarke isn't just a tool to further Cumberbatch's performance; Knightley plays her to brazenly funny perfection. Disappointingly the same can't be said for the rest of Turning's colleagues, who come off as dull cutouts, but in the end this is a film about the man himself and the performance behind him. 

However, a desire to enhance the dramatic effect of the quest to break Enigma has led to historical inaccuracies which rather undercut the film's various successes. One noticeable issue is Commander Denniston's unfair presentation as a bureaucratic monster, which seems an exceptionally desperate attempt at creating a villain (Hitler and the Nazis are seen only through occasional images of war-torn battlefields and newsreels). It may be pedantic, but the inaccuracies genuinely lessen the authenticity of the movie as a whole. Worse still is the puzzling lack of focus on Turing's homosexual feelings and relationships, with director Morten Tyldum preferring to devote screen time to the relationship between Turing and Clarke. While this could be argued as reflective of the exceptionally private nature of Turing's life, it's an overly safe move that makes Turing's eventual acknowledgement of his sexuality seem confusing and rather out of character. Tyldum makes another bizarre moral decision in the film's parting moments, his celebration of Turing's Royal Pardon contrasted with only small mention of the 49000 unpardoned gay men convicted of the same offence.

For all its moral moral issues, The Imitation Game is a brilliantly made film, a cautious pace building to giddy heights with the euphoria of the final defeat of Enigma. It's an impressively thrilling, funny and even moving film held together by a sublime performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. 

7/10

The 10 most wonderful films by Studio Ghibli

Since its conception almost 30 years ago, Studio Ghibli has taken on iconic status across the globe both for its profound anime masterpieces and the legends surrounding its visionary director Hayo Miyazaki. But with Miyazaki's retirement and the studio's recent announcement of a temporary halt in production, there's not been much for Ghibli fans to smile about since the release of The Wind Rises back in May. Bearing that in mind, here's my take on the 10 most wonderful films by Studio Ghibli. 

                                                      10. Porco Rosso (1992)
Telling the story of a famed fighter pilot turned bounty hunter, Porco Rosso certainly doesn't sound like traditional Ghibli fodder. Then comes Miyazaki's twist: a curse has transformed Porco into an anthropomorphic pig. Making intelligent use of the culture and politics of its interwar setting, the film is a brilliantly entertaining yarn, but also uses its bizarre premise to make genuine, touching observations on the human condition.

9. Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Ghibli's most perfect love story, Whisper of the Heart is a charming account of growing up told through the eyes of a 14-year old. Rather than overplaying the usual fantasy and mysticism, the film revels in its own (comparative) normality; Shizuku Tsukishima is an ordinary girl with a love of reading, a disapproving family and a crush on a boy who's moving away. It's perhaps the studio's most relatable movie, and a heartfelt plea to pursue your dreams rather than settle for the ordinary. 

8. The Wind Rises (2013)
For the emotional farewell to studio founder Hayo Miyazaki, the biopic of the inventor of the Mitsubishi "Zero Fighter" initially seemed a strange choice of subject matter. However, Jiro Horikoshi's increasing despair as the planes inspired by his love of exploration become tools for slaughter is a perfect canvas for Miyazaki. Returning once again to themes of nature versus industry, scenes of the blissful Japanese countryside are wickedly contrasted with the war's destruction to make the conflict all the more moving. 

7. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
When the young Sophie is aged seventy years by an evil witch, she finds the legendary walking castle owned by Howl, the only wizard capable of returning her to youth. Making use of improved animation technology without abandoning Ghibli's hand-drawn roots, the film features some of the studio's most jaw-dropping art-particularly impressive is the moving castle itself; a colossal hulk of wheezing iron and escaping steam. Drawing inspiration from The Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, Howl is a rambling, expansive exploration in high fantasy. 


6. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Produced before Ghibli was even founded (but included in this list because the team behind it went on to found the studio), Nausicaä is remarkable in that it shares all of the morality, artistic vision and sheer beauty of the films Ghibli would go on to produce. Its story weaves the peaceful folk of The Valley of the Wind and their princess Nausicaä with an industrialized kingdom attempting to destroy a jungle of mutant insects; a thematically complex affair reflecting Miyazaki's already passionate environmental beliefs. As always with Ghibli films it's full of fantastic characters, but it's the sympathetic portrayal of the victimized insect Ohmu that stays longest in the mind. A startling intelligent anime, Nausicaä remains a gloriously thrilling picture while preaching its far-reaching messages. 

5. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
The most wonderfully innocent of all Ghibli films (and perhaps films full stop), My Neighbor Totoro follows two young girls whose mother is recovering from a long-term illness. Lonely and confused, the pair's outdoor exploration leads them to discover the magical creatures living in the forest near their house led by Totoro, the spirit of the forest who appears in the form of an enormous rabbit-like animal. Fear turns quickly to joy as Totoro helps the girls overcome their sadness (the film is at times startlingly reflective and poignant) and rekindle their scattered relationships with their parents, all told through strangely comforting art and music. A film of indescribable beauty and perfection, Totoro launched Ghibli's name and has served as the studio's logo and mascot ever since. 


4. Castle in the Sky (1986)
Borrowing heavily from Gulliver's Travels, Castle in the Sky is a hugely funny and tremendously entertaining movie. Bringing together a girl, a boy, a magical amulet, a floating city, a sinister government and a host of undeniably likable and hilarious characters, the film has all the elements of the perfect fantasy blockbuster, and uses them to the full. Filled with spine tingling set pieces and explosive action sequences, you'd be forgiven for assuming that Ghibli's traditional beliefs were left at the roadside on this one, but that's not the case at all. In fact, Castle in the Sky is arguably superior to most Ghibli films in its presentation of the struggle between man and the environment in that it portrays technology and nature working in cohesion, nature stimulating invention while machines help to sustain the natural environment. And, for my money, its music (particularly its theme) is the best in any Ghibli film. 

3. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
And now for something completely different. Grave of the Fireflies is a shockingly intense, utterly horrifying war film and is about as far from the usual Ghibli movie (and the usual war film) as it's possible to be. Rather than following the heroics of soldiers on the front line, the film presents a startling account of the lives of two Japanese children forced to cope with the loss of their parents, the threat of bombing raids and a constant battle with starvation during the final years of the Second World War. The usual Ghibli charm is totally absent here, it's a dark, brutally realistic portrait of the horrors of human conflict, but the studio's usual quality of animation, writing and direction makes it all the more powerful and frightening. For all Ghibli's belief in environmental sustainability this is by far their most meaningful film, the passion and faith of its anti-war message reflected in the terrifying changes hardship evokes in its characters. Moving to the point of tear-jerking, Grave of the Fireflies was a game-changing movie not just for Ghibli but for anime as a whole, giving animators the permission to explore topics far beyond their usual realms of gods, monsters and dystopian futures. Harrowing. 

2. Spirited Away (2001) 

Much like Lewis Carroll's novel, Hayo Miyazaki's take on Alice in Wonderland is a bizarre, spiritual and utterly gorgeous work of genius. When her parents are transformed into pigs in an apparently uninhabited theme park, ten-year old Chihiro delves into a ludicrous, regularly disturbing spirit world as she attempts to win them back. Miyazaki's phenomenal creativity is at its very best in the creation of a beautifully varied cast of characters, and artistically Spirited Away feels like a culmination of all Ghibli's work; each frame an explosion of colour and a masterclass in artistic craftsmanship. The art isn't just for aesthetic value either; the simplicity of the appearance of the spirit No Face makes him all the more scary by comparison to more detailed, elaborate creatures. It's a truly frightening film at times too, although the fearful tone is carefully lifted as the movie goes on as Chihiro becomes more and more at home in her new world. It's not as pushy in its messages as some, but this only furthers the fairytale atmosphere of the piece; this is art for art, not for politics. Deserved winner of the Oscar for best animated feature, Spirited Away is an exquisite film that truly justifies Miyazaki's status as a visionary. 

1. Princess Mononoke (1997)
For me, Princess Mononoke encapsulates everything Studio Ghibli films are about. There's an epic, hugely ambitious storyline of demons, gods and warriors. There's magnificent, perfectly drawn and painted artwork.. And there's a frank message on the harsh realities of environmental destruction. The film studies religion, the ruination of ancient culture and humanity's relationship with the animal kingdom (the titular princess was, rather wonderfully, raised by wolves) , but its moral values are only part of the picture. Princess Mononoke is a deliciously enjoyable tale of epic fantasy full of intense violence juxtaposed with natural imagery, and it's also technologically inventive and at times exceptionally witty. Described as "The Star Wars of anime", the film takes existing archetypes and themes and employs them to create the perfect hero tale without every seeming cliched. Intelligent, fast paced and thrilling, Princess Monokoke tells us almost as much about the futility of war as Grave of the Fireflies does, but remains a fiercely entertaining film. Like so many on this list, Princess Mononoke is a true masterpiece.  Not content to be one of the best anime movies around, it's up there among the greatest films ever made.