Mobile phones

My Dd has been at 2 schools.

School 1: Phones could be used at any time no rules. Pupils encouraged to use phones to google things in class. They caused a lot of disruption in class. Numerous cases of happy slapping etc.

School 2: Phones not to be used or even seen on school site. If they are seen they are confiscated and parent must collect.

Allowed in my DS's school not meant to be out in lessons but can be used at break times, teachers meant to confiscate if out in class. Reality is that kids text or iMessage each other in class, take selfies and play games and some teachers find it difficult to police. I also don't like the idea of my DS playing on his phone at break rather than socialising. The school say it's unrealistic to ban them but other schools seem to cope and some local schools also have rule that only phones allowed are non-smart phones .

Not allowed in lessons, but are allowed at break, lunchtime, etc, some form tutors even let them use them during registration if there's nothing else that needs to be done that day.

Some teachers even let them use them as calculators, but that's officially not allowed and it causes the Maths teachers a lot of problems when they are enforcing the whole "you must have a proper calculator, phones are not allowed" in a class where the Science/Geography/whatever teacher has allowed them to use their phones as calculators the lesson before.

Allowed in lesson but can not be used at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Pretty strict at our school, if they are seen, they are taken to the office and the parent has to come and retrieve them.

Not allowed in DS's school but in my school (I'm a TA) they are out in every lesson - the teacher doesn't always notice. I would ban them!

Where I work they are banned. If found they have to collect from office and get an after school detention. We are realistic and know they have them, but if seen they will be confiscated. They try and we win. Last school I worked at the parents had to come in and collect them !! Mobiles in lessons are a pain - "oh miss I was just using the calculator" - via Instagram

Allowed, but not to be seen or heard in lessons. No earphones to be seen in lessons either.

DS1 (Y10) doesn't take his mobile to school at all, and DS2 (Y8) has his switched off in his bag.

Allowed but have to be switched off and has to stay in school bag.
DD2 now in year 6 is allowed a phone but must be put in a box at the beginning of the school day and collected at home time. I like my DDs to have a phone with them on the way to and from school. As a working mum I like to get a text when they get home and have the peace of mind that they can call me. We don't seem to have a problem with children who are obsessed with their phones, perhaps it is because we don't make a big deal about having one. I think banning them would make them want to use them more. I think it is about learning to use them responsibly and taking them away on the way to and from school or when they are out by themselves makes no sense to me. In our time there were no mobile phones but try to find a public pay phone that works in this day and age. I can't think of when I last saw one...

DDs school has given in. Allowed to be used break and lunch, even it seems briefly between lessons. Occasionally used in class to photo diagrams.

Something like what copper top said. Everyone comes on bus, would be ridiculous to try to completely ban.

My dd would keep her mobile in her bra at school. No problem

Not allowed at my DC's school - those with a good reason can request permission from the head to bring one and hand it in to the office in the morning and collect it at the end of the day but very few do.

Allowed but are not to be used in lessons.

Allowed (big school, would be chaos to hand in/retrieve), but must be turned off and out of sight at all times between start of registration and final going home bell.

If a teacher sees/hears a pupil's phone, it will be confiscated and the pupil picks it up at the end of the day from school office, plus gets an adverse mark on conduct card. Too many adverse marks on conduct card in one week leads to detention.

They aren't allowed in my DC's secondary school unless the school has given special permission. Those allowed to bring them in have to hand them into the office and collect at the end of the day. A lot of parents complain about this policy as most children travel quite some distance to the school. However, I fully support this policy and I'm delighted that the school has this rule. The reason they give for banning mobiles is that far too much time is taken up with the problems caused by cyber/text bullying if phones are brought into school. There are bag checks to ensure that the kids aren't bringing them in, although it is mainly the Year 7s subjected to these checks. The school knows that all children above Year 7 carry mobiles to school, but as long as they don't see or hear them, they turn a blind eye. If a mobile is taken into school and goes off in class, the punishment depends on the teacher. The official line is that the phone is confiscated, the pupil gets detention and the parents have to go in to collect the phone. But lots of teachers just ignore them.

They are not allowed in school at dds school. Those who need them for travel have to hand them into the office at the start of the day & collect them at the end.

At the school ds will go to they are allowed in school but be switched off in class. They can be used at break & lunchtimes v