Can schools ban parents using phones on site?

[shadowfiesta]

Primary school have updated their mobile use policy and all staff / parents / visitors cannot use mobile phones on site. I get some of it - can't take photos of kids, staff shouldn't get distracted when teaching etc but we're not even allowed to take a call or check emails in that dreadful wait for the doors to open at the end of the day.....god, we're all going to have to talk to each other aren't we??!!

(Mine are still in ks1 so have to go on site to collect. Ks2 parents can wait on the road so they can probably do what they like!)

I don't see how they can stop you.... will they confiscate your phone?!

No. But they can ask you not to and glower at you when you do... teacher / school administrator stare is practically a WMD.

However I predict all the parents will be glued back to their screens by half term anyway

Wtf? I think that is utterly unreasonable.

Sorry, I meant if in playground. I can understand it being annoying if you are actually in the building.

Why can't they? It's school property. Nobody is going to die not going on their phone for 10 mins. Would be nice to think priority is talking to your children for the last few minutes or be ready with a smile facing your child as they run out instead of looking down. School is all about setting good examples and I think it's a fab idea.

Are you sure they don't mean get off your phone when the kids are on their way out and pay attention to where your kid might be?

How on earth are they going to enforce that?

Ridiculous! Yes fair enough when you're working (though emergencies would be necessary) but not in your breaks when not supervising kids

Just re read thread - parents!! Seriously!! Ffs

Oh can see all those adults handing in their phones abs heading to the naughty bench. Come off it op

Our school doesn't allow parents to use phones on site or when helping on school trips. Doesn't bother me as I don't feel the need to be constantly checking my phone.

Wear one of those earpiece things (subversive)....

Some schools install signal blockers. That tends to stop phone use rapidly

When helping on school trips - fair enough request. On site - what are they going to do, call the police?

I don't see a problem with it. I used to teach in a prison and so got used to not having my phone on me. Emergency calls always got through to me from the main office - including when my son's nursery called. So as a staff member it wouldn't bother me.

The parents at my son's school tend to talk to each other any way - it's a small place and we've all known each other since the preschool days so there tends to be a lot of chat at pick up time.

is it something like this?
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/middlesborough-school-tells-parents-put-away-phones-picking-up-children-a7621121.html

They can stop you going on school premises if you don't agree to put the phone away.

If I was still having to collect my ds from the playground I would absolutely look at my phone. If nobody is talking to you (a common occurrence from the angsty threads on here about school playground queen bees and cliques) it's good to be able to look at your phone as if it doesn't matter.

I lived close enough to walk to school so I could more or less time my arrival at school with the doors opening and the kids coming out. But if you have to drive, are at work beforehand etc, it is more difficult to plan your arrival. You could be there 15 minutes before. It's quite nice to have something to do!

If you are actually in the building that's different, but trying to have a policy for playgrounds is silly. And the safeguarding issue is a red herring - I am an athletics official and there is a no photos policy at any athletics meet. If you want to take photos, you need a permit. But that only applies to cameras. Everyone is there with their phones, taking pictures (and videos) of their kids, and obviously with other kids in the background. Same goes for the swimming pool - in theory it's no cameras but in practice everyone is reading books on their tablets/updating Facebook/Twitter and of course all phones have a camera. I'm not sure you can legislate against it and in any event, you'd be hard pushed to insist that people don't have their phones because you have to be contactable 24/7 these days or schools/childcare providers will call social services if they can't get you.

As for staff, well there's nothing to stop them hiding in the loo with their mobile phone on a break is there? Which is what I've told ds to do if he ever needs to text me for any reason, as pupils are banned from using mobile phones on the school site, even after hours.

I'd like to see my DS's school try this (they wouldn't because they don't have control issues). My phone's a disability aid, I could do with the money a lawsuit would bring.

Totally unreasonable. I'd often be coordinating multiple things at school pick up time and would use the wait time (because ds's class was always the last out) productively.

Some schools install signal blockers. That tends to stop phone use rapidly

Until someone grown up reads the law, and realises it's illegal.

It wouldn't bother me and can't see the issue to be honest. I'm pretty sure I can survive 5 minutes without looking at my phone.

Our school has a ban on it as well. Not just when children are coming out but even if you're just waiting for them in the playground 10 minutes before school ends. Obviously they don't take the phones off you but if the Head spots anyone with a phone out she will ask them to put them away. Some parents were furious one day when they saw her striding across the playground blatantly talking on her phone.

I once got told off (well not really but it felt like I was being told off) by the secretary because I'd gone to the office for something and my phone rang while I was waiting. I'm a foster carer and the phone display said it was the children's social worker so I knew it might be important so I took it. The secretary sternly told me that phones weren't allowed.

Generally a ban doesn't bother me but if I feel that a call is important (doesn't happen often) I would like to be able to make the decision myself as to whether or not I take it.

I don't particularly care about using my phone but I really hate being treated like I'm one of the pupils by my kids' schools.

Not good for fostering a good parent-school relationship IMO.

If people don't have the sense to look up from their phones when talking to teachers or their children I don't think banning their use on school grounds is going to solve the greater problem.