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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Mobile Phone Confiscation

42 replies

paganmoon · 21/02/2018 11:50

My DS (year 11) school has just sent out a new policy stating that all mobile phones can't be used on the premises AT ALL during the school day. I have no problem with this and neither does my DS, he is a top student about to take his exams and is getting as much as he can from the school to help him achieve this . He would not dream of using a phone in a lesson.
However he is worried he may forget to put it on silent and it could beep or ping in his bag and would be confiscated for three days (even if this is at breaktime).

My concern is that this will leave not only him but other students with no means of emergency contact on their journeys to and from school. What if the bus is running late (which it quite often is, or doesn't run at all and he has to wait for the next one?)
We also live in an area in which crime is increasingly on the rise, a rape not half a mile from our house a fortnight ago and a murder reported yesterday (although this was extremely shocking and very rare in our town). The local constabulary website list 40 plus incidents of antisocial behavior, violent crime and sexual crime in our area in December alone! and there was me thinking we lived in a nice area. but to be fair other areas of our town are pretty much on the same level with some worse.

My question is can the school legally keep the phone overnight? Does it not contravine OFSTED safety regulations? I would like to reiterate I do not have a problem with the school policy in fact I think it will improve the school but the issue of safety on the school commute is very concerning to me. I know there are those that will say 'we never had a phone' and neither did I, but what we did have is a visible police force with a beat Bobbie that walked the beat everyday and was easy to find, everyone knew and respected and wouldn't think twice about giving you a clip round the ear or taking you home. Now the police have less powers for minor crimes and some people take advantage of that, so no I don't feel its same as it was 'back when'.

OP posts:

Knittedfairies · 21/02/2018 11:56

I don’t know what OFSTED's safety regulations are but surely the onus is on your son to remember to turn off his phone. Job done.

TeenTimesTwo · 21/02/2018 12:41

I don't think there is any legal reason why they can't. It seems quite common in schools to confiscate phones if they are causing disturbance.

In an emergency I am sure he could find another kid or adult to make a call for him. You could always buy a cheap PAYG basic phone for him to have as well for emergencies if you are that concerned.

If he doesn't think he can remember to turn his phone off by himself then he needs to either buddy up with someone else who does the same route to remind each other, or not have the phone on in the morning.

Also if there is any chance he won't remember to deal with his phone appropriately for exams he needs a belts and braces approach to save him from getting disqualified from an exam. (DD walked to school and left her phone at home on exam days to relive herself of the extra worry).

noblegiraffe · 21/02/2018 12:41

It's only a problem if their phone is confiscated so there's a simple answer to that.

Yes, schools can legally confiscate phones.

TeenTimesTwo · 21/02/2018 12:42

relieve

DottyDotAgain · 21/02/2018 12:45

Our ds's school has a similar policy - any phones found bleeping or being used are sent to the school office and parents have to come and collect it - so the onus is on the child to get the parents to pick it up - if they don't, the phone is kept at the school until they can! Not happened to us yet and I wouldn't be rushing to finish work early if the school phoned me to come and rescue a phone... So yes, I think schools can do this - fingers crossed he keeps it on silent - I think ds's and most pupils at their school are used to doing this and it seems to work.

insancerre · 21/02/2018 12:50

So how does a mobile phone stop you being raped or murdered?

noblegiraffe · 21/02/2018 12:53

If you are that worried that he will get his phone confiscated then tell him to keep it on silent all the time.

If you then say you can’t phone him in an emergency when he’s not at school, get him a Fitbit that vibrates and tells you you have an incoming call from Mum.

Or he could just set a daily reminder on his phone to put it on silent.

BackforGood · 21/02/2018 13:11

This is pretty normal policy in all schools I know of.
Most teens I know also keep their phone on silent permanently anyway annoying as you can't ring them when they can't remember where they put them.
Most teachers have the common sense to know if there was a one off accidental mistake and let it go, for an accident.
A mobile phone isn't some kind of protection against being murdered or raped you know.
Not sure when you are thinking there used to be this plethora of 'bobbies on the beat' but it certainly hasn't been in my memory and I'm old enough to have lived a LOT more of my life without a phone, than with it.
If it is that important to him, then he won't make the same mistake twice.

CotswoldStrife · 21/02/2018 13:15

He could keep the phone on silent all the time - no worries about it pinging then. Why would you not do that, but instead accuse the school of breaching (what I am fairly sure will be non-existant!) OFSTED regs. You're making a much bigger drama out of this than it needs to be OP. Phone on silent all the time - job done.

Bluedoglead · 21/02/2018 13:30

If it’s an iPhone he can set his do not disturb automatically during school support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204321 I’m sure you can do the same on Android

mrsplum2015 · 21/02/2018 13:31

At dds school they have a similar rule. However it is stipulated that phone is kept in locker and if it is seen out of locker its confiscated until the last bell when they can collect prior to journey home. Can't your ds keep his phone in his locker?

mrsplum2015 · 21/02/2018 13:32

Oh and dd has only had hers confiscated once. It was a big rush to get it back and apologise to hoy before her bus left school so she didn't make that mistake again!

BackforGood · 21/02/2018 13:43

Plus, of course, none of his mates will be messaging during the school day as they don't have access to their phones, and you and his Dad will know not to ring / message him during the day either - so where are all there calls / messages coming from ?

Tuesdaynightname · 21/02/2018 13:59

Same at ds's school, only they get a detention as well. DS was worried for the first week, now he just turns it off before he goes in to school.

Standardpubquizname · 21/02/2018 14:37

Remembering to put your phone on silent is a good life skill

PatriciaHolm · 21/02/2018 14:50

He's year 11? so 15/16? Plenty old enough to figure out how to get home without his phone!

VandelayIndustries · 21/02/2018 15:00

My dd’s school has the same rule and she’s never forgotten as she knows what would happen! Especially as unfortunately she gets those ‘I’m ringing about an accident’ calls.

My nephew doesn’t take his despite his first bus being at 6:45am and not getting home till 4:15 as he doesn’t trust himself to remember.

HuskyMcClusky · 21/02/2018 15:04

He's year 11? so 15/16? Plenty old enough to figure out how to get home without his phone!

Exactly! Wtf?! Talk about looking for a solution to a non-existent problem.

Quadrangle · 21/02/2018 15:08

Dd's school has always had this rule and despite being quite absent minded she hasn't ever had it confiscated

lightoflaluna · 21/02/2018 15:09

Yes, he can activate Do Not Disturb to automatically stop any notifications on an iphone. I have it set every night from 10pm-6am.

If you needed him in an emergency you could get a message to him via the school reception. Less urgent things could be texted and would ping through when he leaves school.

Agree that the onus is on him to make sure it doesn't get confiscated.

halcyondays · 21/02/2018 15:09

Can't he just put it on silent before leaving the house in the morning?
DD's school has a similar rule, it's not been a problem.

You get apps and games that message you which might beep during the school day if you don't have it on silent.

spacecadet48 · 21/02/2018 15:54

My DD got her phone confiscated and booted out of a mock exam in yr 8. Her phone was in her bag and beeped during it. Reason they took it was because if it happened during her GCSE the same thing would happen and bang goes the GCSE. They don't need to carry a phone during school, its getting into good habits, switch phone off and place it in their locker. Or switch it off and leave it in their bag.

Soursprout · 21/02/2018 16:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DinkyDaisy · 21/02/2018 16:08

My son's school have this rule. He puts his phone on silent before he leaves for school and then puts it in his locker.
Other pupils keep phones in their bag but ds thinks that is risky and prefers the locker.

Tissunnyupnorth · 21/02/2018 18:16

Zero tolerance to phones in my DS’s school. If they are seen or heard at all, it’s a Saturday detention.

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