Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

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 Smile. 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).Shock

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).Shock 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?Hmm 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:
BertrandRussell · 21/02/2018 18:20

“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.”

Did you grow up in the 1950s? Grin

AChickenCalledKorma · 21/02/2018 18:21

(a) - putting the phone on silent every morning isn't hard. My children both mastered it about a week into year 7, because their school has the same rule and they don't want to lose their phones.

(b) - there are many ways of staying safe and the phone is only one of them. It may, however, be worth making sure some of his good friends have your number, so he can get them to call you if there's an issue. The same applies if he loses the phone, leaves it at home or lets the battery run down, which IME is a much more frequent occurrence.

He would also be able to ask the school to let you know his phone has been confiscated, if you are concerned (and if it ever happens). And if you really don't want him to travel without it, I guess you'd have to go and get him.

Bluedoglead · 21/02/2018 18:23

Bertrand did you mean that for another thread? Or have I missed a page?

BertrandRussell · 21/02/2018 18:38

It’s in the OP!

Bluedoglead · 21/02/2018 18:39

The perils of phone! 😊 thank you.

C8H10N4O2 · 21/02/2018 19:32

My kids' school had exactly the same rule. If a phone was seen or heard, then parents had to go in and collect it via appt with the head of house. Entirely sensible rule.

No idea when you grew up but there were no bobbies on the beat when I went to school and I'm over 50. A phone might be convenient, it might be desired but there is no evidence it makes you safer on the way to or from school (and there have been muggings to steal those desirable phones which suggests they make you less safe!).

PositiveVibes18 · 21/02/2018 19:38

How did children deal with "emergencies" during a time when no one carried a mobile phone. Oh yeah the school office........

GoatMilker · 21/02/2018 21:39

I have an android phone and it is set to automatically go onto silent from 10pm and back on at 7am. It will allow "priority" calls through so anyone in my phone book that I have designated as priority.

My children's phones are also set this way so that they do not go off in school hours.

They both know my phone number off by heart so if needed can always call me from someone else's phone.

Noodledoodledoo · 24/02/2018 21:45

Teacher here and I agree with others - phone can be set to go automatically on silent - I have an app on Android that does it for me and the only number that will ring is nursery - I tell my students this as well at the start of the year.

If it is an innocent mistake I will tend to say opps something needs sorting whilst I write something on the board, and turn my back so they can sort. You can normally tell as they look horrified and normally offer to give you the phone - those who deliberately defy the rules don't get such leeway!

Quadrangle · 25/02/2018 08:54

How did children deal with "emergencies" during a time when no one carried a mobile phone. Oh yeah the school office.....
There were a lot more public payphones around. We had one in our school corridor

Theworldisfullofidiots · 25/02/2018 08:58

I have a daughter in the same year. She is soon to ve an adult, I think they can start to take responsibility for themselves, including getting the phone confiscated.

Eeeeek2 · 25/02/2018 09:06

Mobiles were completely banned when I went to school, I still took mine it was always off and in my bag. Teacher never saw it let alone heard it.

EdithWeston · 25/02/2018 09:16

I think it's a bit shit for schools to keep confiscated phones overnight, especially if the sanction period falls over a weekend, because they cannot know what is going on in any particular family and how important it may be to be in touch.

But yes, they are right to sanction breaches of their mobile phone policy. And your DS needs to realise that the policy his school has, is what he needs to conform to (even if you think, as I do, that the sanction is excessive). Help him find a way to remember to switch off or put on silent - every morning as he approaches the gates might be a good time - or as he leaves the house (better, as I bet he checks he's got it with him as he leaves, he can check what state it is in then)

And if you are worried about security or complex after school admin on days when he might not have a phone because if school sanction, get a basic brick as the family spare.

Ellybellyboo · 25/02/2018 14:12

My DD’s school confiscates phones and parents have to collect them

My DD has set hers (iPhone) to automatically turn on ‘do not disturb’ from 8:30am-3pm every week day. That way there’s no risk of forgetting to put it on silent

Cauliflowersqueeze · 25/02/2018 14:22

Totally legal to confiscate.

Your son needs to make his own arrangements to switch it off. He has to remember for exams as well - if he takes it into the exam room then he is disqualified.

Noodledoodledoo · 26/02/2018 22:21

Agree he needs to make it a habit - I turn my blue tooth off as I get to school so I check the phone has switched to silent - my app has its erratic moments.

SlackPanther · 01/03/2018 07:30

Check how many of the crimes are people being mugged for their phones.

He’s Yr 11. If you are this worried about a bus running late or him waiting for the next one, you sound very anxious.

The policy is the norm. I can’t begin to think that Ofsted would be interested.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread