What is your secondary school doing about mobile phone policy?

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Our school are suggesting trackers as phones aren’t allowed on site or the commute either. This also includes brick phones. Crackers. How do I support the logic of this to my child?

If they need to phone the office has a phone 😂 I'm in Australia and they banned them here ages ago and so far no children have magically died or something they don't need mobile phone's at school

We have pouches, but DS (15, will be Yr11) has already stopped taking his phone as he can't be bothered faffing with the pouch.

School starts when they get to school, not on the commute. That’s insane. It doesn’t effect my son he’s allowed to keep his phone on him for his diabetes. But this is getting nuts now.

Are they banned on the commute?

Yes there not allowed at anytime we also have the under 16 ban for social media because of children that have committed suicide due to online bullying

Phones have to be switched off and put away in their bags as soon as they are through the gate. If they are seen,even if they are switched off,they are taken away until the end of the day. More strikes result in the office keeping it until the end of the week,and collection from a parent. Seems to work well.

Ours have phone pouches that block phone signal and WiFi.

Ds has a medical one for his diabetes, so his sensor will still connect via Bluetooth and give him the alerts when needed, while in the pouch.

I see some saying that dud or old phones are being put into the pouches. Like others I dont see why some cant just put their smart phone away for the few hours in school.

Is that school or state dependent for the commute? I do agree with tougher rules around social media.

Our school has always banned smartphones from being taken into school, except in sixth form. Brick phones only, and they are confiscated until the end of that half term if found. We’re in London so no need for kids to have apps on their phone for transport, and brick phones work fine for keeping in touch. Obviously they are all on their smartphones outside school time, but it’s always seemed a very sensible policy to me. Kids don’t need phones in school.

Well, some do. So as a blanket statement, its rubbish.

But he could ask the driver where they are. It might promote problem solving if fewer kids are tracked and have Internet access.

DS’s school has always had zero tolerance on phones being seen or heard: it goes to the office and has to be collected by a parent/carer.

it works. No phone bullying drama or distractions in lessons.

Ours is no phones allowed onsite at all from September. Rural school, huge number of kids come by bus - both school bus and public buses from up to 20 miles away. Some take train and then bus.

Travelcards, timetables, payment cards etc are all default phone based so we all have to apply for physical travel cards etc.

No way to check if a bus is late/cancelled except using an app, and no way to notify parents that your bus has been cancelled unless you have a phone.

When I was a kid and my bus was cancelled I would walk to the nearest phone box with my 5p and call home. Obviously no chance of that now.

particualrly bad for kids who go to a different activity after school and then need to call to be picked up, or need to check onward travel timetables etc.

It’s a mess.

dc school has a no phone on site policy, however each pupil has their own locker so phones live there during the day.
no phone for commute wouldn't work as puplic transport pass is on an app.

I get not wanting students on phones in school. That's easily achieved by insisting they're turned off and in bags.

Why are some people so insistent that they don't need a phone - lots of reasons why they might.

What is the issue with it being a smart phone? Again lots of reasons why they're useful for children to have.

It's federal law so all schools do it no matter what state your in

Australia has an off and away all day policy for phones. Maybe some schools don’t allow phones on the commute, but that’s not federal law!

Ours is moving from “phone off in bag” to no smart phones at all from Sept. Or smart watches or anything with internet or camera capability. Brick phones will be allowed but need to be switched off and out of sight whilst on school grounds, if seen or used on school grounds they will issue after school detentions the next day and phone will need to be collected from school office by parent each time.

Behaviour is actually really good at the school, I think they are doing it because nearly all the local secondary schools are.

Allowed to take to school but turned off and in bag, not allowed to use them at break times but can turn them back on at end of school day. If they are caught using it, it’s consficated and signed into the office in a locked cabinet for the rest of the day. If it happens again then upon arrival the phone must be signed into the office for the rest of the term.

The high school here has always had the policy of no phones in sight on school grounds. If it’s seen or heard then it’s confiscated and a parent has to come and collect it.

They took a lot of criticism in the beginning when that policy came in, but the old HT was adamant phones were not going to be commonly used in her school. They are now seen as the best school locally in their handing of it.

The other secondary has the pouches. Parents must register for one and their child must use it every day. If a phone is seen it’s confiscated, and again a parent has to collect the phone.

God DS would be taking his phone on the commute, sanctions or not. If any sanctions were applied (they wouldn't be) we would be making the biggest fuss and he would be leaving the school. In school their rules. Out of school, mine.

They will have to come up with a better system then this as from 1st July new legislation came in that means schools have to prevent students using phones during the school day from September.

My son's school has been supper organised as are introducing lock boxes, which students will have to place their phones in during registration. Then collect at the end of the day.

The school I work in has been lastminute.com and just told us the end of last week that they will be rapidly phasing in the phone pouches from September.

No smart phones from September. Brick phones allowed.

DCs school is staying how it’s been for years.

Phones handed in at the start of the day and collected at the end.

Our school haven't said anything so I presume current rules will continue to apply that they should be off and in bags at school. Another local school have brought in the pouches.