Swan FM

Swan FM week. 7- 11 March 2005.

The following is a summary of Swan FM week

1. All the student groups except one turned up on time to present their shows
2. The format of the shows was followed generally but not always specifically as planned. This was due mainly to time pressure rather than any strong desire to divert from the schedule
3. The students felt a real sense of achievement and wanted to continue the project
4. The most challenging aspect of broadcasting was the Swan FM news items, which were ignored by a number of presenters who wanted to minimize the time their voice was on air and just play music
5. With the exception of Monday, when the new activity attracted a lot of curiosity, Swan FM’s studio was largely ignored. However students trying to enter the reception area did annoy the office staff on several occasions
6. The audience appeared to enjoy the programming and the idea of a school radio station, although no formal evaluation was carried out.
7. The quality of the shows varied, with several reaching a high professional standard.

However there was one unforeseen issue that changed the structure and tone of the week.

On Monday two students came to see me and said that the Swan FM broadcast could be heard in the assembly hall where Muslim prayers were being conducted. I went upstairs, could clearly hear the music and went downstairs, turned the amplifier down and told the presenters to keep the volume at that level after prayers started for the rest of the week. As Muslims the group was shocked that they hadn’t thought of this problem before.

The next day I tested the volume by going into the assembly hall and checking I couldn’t hear music. I confirmed this with the teacher present who told me there was no longer a problem.

Meanwhile a group of students asked if they could broadcast the call to prayer on Swan FM every day from Tuesday. Given the high response requesting Islamic music in the audience survey and the mature and reasonable way in which the request was made I agreed. Given the community remit of the station I did not foresee a problem and allowed the students to keep broad editorial control.

The call to prayer was made on Tuesday. On Wednesday I was verbally criticised by a member of staff for allowing it to be made. This surprised me and I explained my reasons. I didn’t believe it was a serious enough editorial decision to be taken out of the hands of the students. Before the call to prayer was made on Wednesday the leadership team told the students it was not allowed without a clear reason being given at the time. Afterwards it was explained to the students that the sound of the call was audible outside the school building and that this created a misleading impression in the community of what the purpose of Swanlea as a secular school is. I totally accepted this, although the students were quite angry and lengthy discussions were required to encourage them to see the bigger picture.

Finally a group of students went to the leadership team and requested that Swan FM stop broadcasting at 1.05 every afternoon due to their view that it was inappropriate that any pop music was being played in school at a time of prayer. I was told to stop Swan FM broadcasting at 1.05 for every remaining days.

The playing of nasheeds on Friday proceeded without any controversy.

This left me with a sour taste in my mouth and I felt confused by the decisions made by the leadership team as the week unfolded and the level of support being given to a project such as Swan FM by the wider school community. It taught me that the precise role of the project in relation to the school’s aims and expectations has to be precisely negotiated with the leadership team of the school. The discussions I had during the planning process had not identified these areas as concerns and I had not seriously considered them.

Summary

Key Points (some serious, some not so serious)

• Keep the technology as simple as possible
• Keep it cheap: spending £1000 on 25 students would not, in my opinion, have been best use of the money.
• Plan in as many stages as possible for group planning and evaluation.
• Encourage group work as a core element of the activity.
• Prepare for things to go wrong
• Think out of the box and plan from lesson to lesson
• Base the project on a visit to a local radio station – make it real
• Get the support of the leadership team and the wider school community – keep everyone informed
• Be prepared not to get the support you expect
• Work with anyone who shows a flicker of interest
• Remain passionate with the students – keep faith in their abilities to deliver even when it looks hopeless
• Have fun – yes I did enjoy it
• Take the opportunity to do your own show – if you’re Mr McLaverty call it the ‘Mac Attack’ and make sure you inflict your taste in Brazilian Hip Hop on the school community.
• Learning like this can change the curriculum.

One student’s assignment was 38 sides of original word-processed work, one wrote one side. Most achieved 1,500 words or more.

Thanks to

The Year 11 Citizenship Studies Group
Andrew Goodman – Deputy Head, Swanlea School
Ray Lau – Head of Music, Swanlea School
Simon Firth – Head of BICTE, Swanlea School
Greg Edwards and all who helped at Capital Gold
Nick Embrey – PGCE Student, Goldsmiths College
Rosie and the office staff, Swanlea School
Everyone else who even the smallest thing to help

John McLaverty
Head of Humanities, Swanlea School

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