Does your child's school restrict mobile phone usage?

Phones not to be taken out of bags at all while on school grounds. But then some teachers tell pupils to look stuff up on their phone during lessons. Mixed messages really.

No confiscation policy as we are rural and it’s considered a safety issue - although I think it’s more for the safety of the headmaster who doesn’t want to be punched by an angry farmer.

They like to stroke them!!! WTF am I reading. A comfort object? Like a dummy or a blankie?
We expect our neurotypical 5 year olds to leave these things at home!
Yet again left wondering how I survived my 80s childhood. But gaining greater insight into the rise in teen mental health issues.

They can have them but they must be off. They have to ask permission to make a call or text home and do it in front of a staff member. At primary, they could have them in year 6 if they were walking home alone but they were handed in and kept locked away and returned at the end of the school day.

At DS' school they are collected in in morning reception and handed out again at registration after lunch.

They are not allowed to be switched on in school and if it is seen it is confiscated.

I’m in England.

Phone policy at DC’s secondary school is that phones have to be switched off and kept out of sight while on school grounds.

If phones are heard or seen, then the phone is confiscated and has to be collected by a parent. Repeat offences result in detentions as well as the phone confiscation.

Yes, recent introduction of "On site, out of sight". It came in about a year ago, and DS has subsequently started to going to additional lunchtime extracurricular clubs as he can't stare at his phone any more. I am a big fan.

Yes all schools near me ban phones. My DS school allows them to be switched off in the bag, so they it can be used on the way to and from. DS doesn't bother taking his unless there's a special reason, like going somewhere with a friend after school.

I used to work in a college that allowed phones and it was a nightmare. Students constantly on phones in lessons, and all sorts of drama caused by messages sent during breaks etc. So I'm strongly in favour of phones being banned during the whole school day.

it all works just fine at my child’s school. I found the policy shocking when it was described, but the school treats them like they can behave and for the most part they do.

Same as this. In England.

Total phone ban on school grounds. Have to be kept switched off in bag, including break and lunch times.
If pupil is seen with phone they are confiscated for 24 hours, parent emailed and points taken from student.
Seems quite effective.

In no way whatsoever would having a phone visible reduce anxiety. Why should a teacher have to compete for attention with a phone sitting out on a desk? All of the above is awful, I’d be really bothered about a school who seemed to do nothing to reduce the use, particularly concerning that as a parent you’re asked to text your child?!

The trouble with handing phones in every day for safekeeping is that there might be as many as 1500 pupils in a secondary school - and they will all want to leave asap at the end of the day! Even in my day, a very long time ago, the little dears were using brick phones to synchronise a mid-lesson loo break for a fag and a chat, via text...

Students have full phone access during breaks.

each teacher sets classroom policy. A few have numbered phone cubbies they have students place phones in, some require phones in bags, some actually ask phones be on desks upside-down. It was pointed out to parents that the 3rd option seems to reduce student anxiety because some kids like to stroke them, but also lets teachers see that the phones aren’t being used under the desks.

Teachers often ask students to use phones in class, despite every student also having a very nice school issued laptop.

parents no longer call the school if we need to communicate with our student. We are told to text them.

Have to be away in bags at all times and on silent.

Some kids at our school travel up to 10 miles to get to school. Very rural so it wouldn't be sensible for an outright ban due to in case bus breaks down etc. If caught out they are handed in to staff and given back at end of the day.

It's a large school so a check in with staff system wouldn't work.

Also school encourages the use of some apps on phones so are needed for that with permission

Special arrangements are used for kids such as those with diabetes who need their phone to check their blood sugar levels

I’m in Oxfordshire and DS’s school say no phones but accept pupils will have them on them for journey to school, ringing parents after school etc. Phones aren’t to be seen though. I can’t remember the exact sequence of sanctions but it’s something like confiscated till end of day if seen, end of week if it happens 3 times and a parent must pick up on Friday after school, confiscated till end of term if that happens again. I’m pretty lax with my DS’s phone use/screen time but can’t see any reason why schools wouldn’t implement this or similar. Phone use in schools must make their jobs 10 x harder.

Officially switched off and in bag. If seen confiscated and detention.

Unofficially they use them a lot to look things up, quizzes, apps etc, but no phone use in lunch breaks etc.

A lot of the kids seem to have Apple watches and use those to text during the day.

Yes, DDs school did this for the entire 5 years she was there. She left after GCSEs last year and this absolutely fantastic policy is still being implemented there.

If a phone was even spotted by a teacher, it was immediately confiscated and a parent had to go and collect it. They wouldn't give it back to the pupil and if a parent couldn't get to school for whatever reason, they just kept it until they could.

It's the best school in the Borough for a reason and that's because they don't do ifs or buts.

Yes. All phones must be locked in Faraday pouches and deposited in a rack in the morning. Unlocked and returned at 4pm each day.

Any pupil caught with a phone faced confiscation & detention. No exceptions.

Bullying & disruption have dropped off a cliff since.

I work in different schools and most, if not all, allow them to carry them in their pockets, switched off (yeah right!). I've found schools in wealthier areas more relaxed and let them use them during breaks and in classrooms for learning, other areas amd Academies with challenging behaviour they are not allowed access at all until they walk outside the school gates. Same for staff as a rule. Xx

Zero tolerance at my school, and been in place for 5+ years. Phones are placed in named zip lock bags in a safe during morning registration and handed out at the end of the day by each form teacher. Student arriving late or leaving early hand phone in at reception. If a student is caught using a phone before registration on school property or before they have left the building at the end of the day, it is confiscated and they receive an automatic 1 hour headteacher detention. If they use it on school grounds to photograph, record, post unkind things about or bully other students they will have a fixed term suspension. If a student needs to communicate with a parent during the day it is done via the office/reception.

DS's ( year 8) school allows phones at break times but only outside. However, some teachers allow (and almost expect) the kids to use their phones to look stuff up online if it's relevant to the class. This caused DD (when she was still there) some problems because her first phone didn't have data, only phone and text for emergencies if she missed the school bus or was ill. Some kids don't have phones and this has been raised with the school but as they don't have access to laptops in all lessons it continues.

My DS regularly texts either me or DP to allow him access to download apps or searches on Google which his teachers have asked him to download. He isn't allowed it out without permission though. Year 7

DDs English secondary school have complete phone ban. Kids have to hand phones in at morning registration and get them back at the end of the day. Totally agree with this policy. Only Yrs 12 + 13 can have their phones in school but use is strictly limited.

Also in Scotland

Primary School - phone has to be handed in to reception on arrival and collected at end of day.

High school - they aren't allowed to use them in class and get it confiscated for the lesson if caught doing do. Repeat behaviour gets reported to parents.

One DD in secondary in Wales. Phones are banned during school time Including breaks..if a phone is seen or heard it is removed and the child gets it back at the end of the day. If 2 strikes in a week the phone has to be collected by a parent. It seems that the embarrassment of that is enough of a deterrent to not get caught more than once.

I think it's a well respected policy and it seems to have greatly reduced distractions during lessons.