Mobile phones in primary/prep school

[Pepperpot69]

My Ds is in Year 8 and allowed to have a phone at school but under very tight restrictions i.e. no wifi and sim removed except at w/e to call home. As this is such a hassle he doesn't bother. We have codes on the phone (instructed by school) for everything to protect him (totally agree). Whilst I understand the reasons on one hand I do also feel that the school have gone a little OTT on the other hand. For example on the coach to matches they are not allowed their phones but it would be nice for him to be able to ping me a txt to let me know how they got on. The school do not post results very quickly so it can be days before we find out.
Does your school allow phones for this age and if so what is their policy? Maybe I am being too much of a helicopter (boarding) parent but i also want to know that when he goes to senior school he can be trusted to be responsible with it. Thanks

[SmugairleRoin]

My school (primary) must sign in phones to the secretary every morning and return to get them at the end of day. No phones allowed out on trips, there's been a few lost.

Any secondary school I know has the policy of phones must be on silent, in lockers. But most kids I know just switch the phone on silent and leave it in their pockets.

[LIZS]

Sounds sensible to me. They don't need to be glued to their phones and presumably can email results etc from school. Dc were not allowed them while away on trips until last trip of y8.

[AuntieStella]

Strictly off during the day.

Never taken to fixtures, unless the pupil was going straight home from the venue not back to school.

[Fizrim]

Not allowed phones in our primary (not boarding), have to hand it in to the school office and pick it up when they leave.

If boarding, would seem fair to have it in the evening/weekends though - just not school hours.

[Pepperpot69]

Thanks everyone, dancingqueen i think that is a good balance, as you say this is 2015! Def agree no phones during the day, in any school!

[Elibean]

Primary: no phones, if children bring them in they are supposed to hand them in to the office on arrival and pick up on leaving.

Secondary: phones switched off (in bags) during the day.

But I agree its different at boarding school, where they have less contact with their families....I like the sound of an hour per evening and ok at weekends x

[petrova]

At my son's full boarding school no mobiles were allowed at all. They had phone cards for phoning home. No i pads or computer games at all (he left last year but the same rules apply.) School has twitter and facebook which gives out results.

[roguedad]

Handed in during the day at both our kids junior and senior day schools. Used for keeping in touch on the bus, e.g. reporting school bus delays only. I'd want my child to have access to their phone at weekends if they were boarding. OP's school sounds like has a reasonable policy?