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AIBU?

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Original poster

Does your school allow phone use during day?

87 replies

StrugglingGrief · 14/09/2024 09:18

I spotted this article on the BBC this morning.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgdx7ddz55o

Our senior school has never allowed phones during the day they are expected to be switched off during school hours 840-410.

i didn’t know other schools did. Does your’s? Children are told to go to reception if they need to contact parents and we contact reception if we need to contact them.

A picture of a student's hand placing a mobile phone in a plastic box in a school

One of England's largest school academies to go phone-free

Ormiston Academies Trust is removing access to phones for 35,000 pupils at its 42 schools.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgdx7ddz55o

OP posts:
hanahsaunt · 14/09/2024 14:36

We've had children in our local comp. since 2011. Phones were not permitted on the premises until 2022 and now they can be brought to and from school but if seen at any point in the school day they are confiscated and parents have to collect.

Iamthemoom · 14/09/2024 14:44

Our school has a no phones out of bags policy. They all work on laptops and iPads but strictly no phones.

Piggywaspushed · 14/09/2024 15:02

Floralspecscase · 14/09/2024 14:06

My DC's secondary school (state) confiscates phones and keeps them for 24 hours if they're seen or heard. The children are allowed to keep them turned off in their bags. They're monitored during lunch and breaks, so there's nowhere they could use them except in the loo cubicle, as far as I know.

I'm shocked that any school allows them at all. Also that textbooks aren't used more. Is school funding so severely in crisis that schools have to depend on phone internet because they can't afford basic books or a computer for anything that has to be found online (surely up to GCSE level that isn't necessary... perhaps for geography? I must be getting old)?

Yes is the answer.

Webbymeister · 14/09/2024 15:03

@OutOutt must be a small school!!

SevernWonders · 14/09/2024 15:06

Previous school I worked in, they were allowed if switched off in bags - it was "see it, hear it, take it" and it would have to be collected at the end of the day. Second offence, it had to be collected by parent at the end of the day, third offence it had to be collected by the parent at the end of term - the parental collection was deliberate to make it inconvenient for the parent and annoying for student so that it discouraged those flouting the rules.

SaltPorridge · 14/09/2024 15:38

Hazeby · 14/09/2024 13:32

I don’t really understand why having a phone in the school environment is more of a safeguarding risk than any other environment. In some ways, it’s a safer place, more closely supervised by adults and safety in numbers. The bad stuff usually happens outside of school.

The bad stuff happens within the virtual environment and inside the kids' minds.
The schools I work at tell parents that phones are banned. The rule is switched off in bag.
In practice, kids use their phones in tutor time "to do homework", in maths "I forgot my password but my phone is logged into the maths software". Repeat in English, Science, MFL. In PE they use phones as timers. In art they look for a picture to copy from the internet.
Literally every single lesson they have their phones out.
They struggle to work from textbooks because the gamified edutainment software has melted their brains.

SaltPorridge · 14/09/2024 15:41

And of course in between doing maths problems they are chatting. taking selfies, videoing each other, and the teacher. Or dealing vapes and so on - and no the teachers cannot see the phone screens and put a stop to that.

Floralspecscase · 14/09/2024 15:42

Piggywaspushed · 14/09/2024 15:02

Yes is the answer.

Show quote history

Bloody hell.

Baital · 14/09/2024 16:35

A friend's daughter was sexually assaulted at school, and the video is now forever online.

Of course allowing phones in school is a safeguarding risk.

BUT many, many schools already ban and enforce the ban on the use of phones on school premises.

Attictroll · 14/09/2024 16:42

No phones allowed at dc state secondary...have to be off and out of sight. If a phone goes off or even an outline seen in blazer packet it's an instant detention and phone confiscated and parent has to go into school to collect it.

I think all these schools banning phones headlines are weird as I don't know one school near us that's allowed it.

kierenthecommunity · 14/09/2024 19:47

Phones switched off and in bags here as DS’s school. That includes break and lunch. He doesn’t bother taking his

If confiscated they have to collect them from the HT at the end of the day, and that’s when it’s convenient for her. So if she’s in a meeting you have to hang about. I imagine she doesn’t keep them waiting too long as she seems a reasonable type.

I assume if you aren’t able to wait it’s the following day.

tinytemper66 · 14/09/2024 20:37

No but we know they do to the loo and use them and often vape too. If caught there are 3 consequences: 1. Phone taken from them til end of the day
2nd offence- parents come in and collect; 3rd- parents meet with SLT.

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