What is your secondary school’s stance on mobile phones?

[parrotonmyshoulder]

DC’s schools are allowed them at all times. Some teachers have ‘no phones in lessons’ rules, others have ‘no phones when I’m talking’ rules. I’ve only known the school since Covid and DD seemed to think they ‘had’ to have them in lessons to access google classroom etc.
Kids of all year groups have them at break times.
I can’t understand how they can manage safeguarding under these circumstances. It’s an enormous school.
I’ve been concerned for a while but currently have a very upset child (y8) who has been shown something that stops her sleeping or being in a room alone. Nothing actually bad in this case (easily afraid and generally anxious - we’re dealing with this) but absolutely could have been a pornographic or otherwise illegal/ image or clip.
I know I won’t be getting a whole policy change, but don’t really know what to say to school. I thought that we had educated DD well on this stuff, and she thought she knew what to do - but when in a new group, trying to fit in, being a kid, she made the wrong decision.

They can have them on them...but not turn them on or go on them during the day.

Do they get asked to put them away then, I’d they’re noticed? Also break times?

On them but not allowed to be seen at all, even at social times. In reality they are always on their bloody phones amd it’s hard to manage.

But you try, by the sounds of it. I understand how hard it must be to manage.

Not seen or heard in my school.

Phones are off and in bags all day until they're off school site. Reality of that is on the bus on the way home and into school.

It's way easier to police and we have had fewer incidents around social media and misuse of phones since we banned in school.

No smart phones allowed on school premises (this included non smart but with a camera): any found (sometimes random bag and locker searches) were confiscated for 2 weeks. Any "dumb" phones not allowed to be used during school hours.
Some smart phones could be left at reception but only with prior permission and for a good reason. This was in a single sex, non denominational, state secondary. Rule introduced when my child was in Y9.

Off and in bags.
If they're seen they're confiscated and only handed back to a parent at the end of the day.

Ours are not allowed them out or switched on at all during the school day. In reality, they do switch them on when they go to the toilets (gross) but not at other times. They get confiscated if seen.

I just can't believe a school thinks it's a good idea to allow phones out in class unless a specific "Google an image to draw" type art lesson task.

Same as parrotonmyshoulder. They can have them switched off, in a pocket or bag. If they are seen being used without permission from a teacher, the phone is confiscated for the rest of the day. They are not allowed to use them during breaks.
Sometimes a teacher will allow them to take a picture of work.

I can’t believe they think it’s a good idea at all either! I can’t understand how they can teach healthy use, safeguarding etc and then allow them so much.
Lesson time worries me but I can hope that it’s being managed.
Break times - free for all.
I have no other school within 40 minutes. And the 3 that are in that range are similar to this.

I wish our school was so good at managing phones! It’s a real pain!

Tried to get one off a kid yesterday who flat out refused so spent the rest of the day In the isolation room so whole day wasted over a bloody mobile

Our school is reasonably relaxed which I prefer. Phones should be off in lessons but allowed in social time.

Not allowed to be seen or heard at DS's school. If they are they get confiscated for the rest of the school week unless a parent comes to collect it. I think a PP's school rule of random bag searches is OTT, a lot of kids travel quite far to get to school so having a phone on them is a good thing. But I like the not seen or heard rule, I can imagine it would be a massive distraction if they could whip them out whenever they wanted.

I'd speak to the school about your DD, perhaps at the very least they can do an e safety assembly or something as a reminder for them. Hope she's ok!

We’ve also had lots of incidents of kids filming teachers in lessons and putting in the net this term… filming in changing rooms, filming fights

We have a no visible phones during the school day rule. So they can have them turned off in their bags but if a teacher sees or hears it we confiscate it. We only return confiscated phones to parents/guardians, not the pupil themselves, so most of them are very, very keen to avoid confiscation.

Dd's school have the rule that you can have your phone for the journey to and from school but you hand it in in the morning as you arrive, then it's given back at the end of the day. There's a steady stream of kids putting their phones into named boxes each morning.

In both schools this is a new policy this year. Last year, and previous years, the rule had been that they were allowed phones at break/lunch but not in lessons (or it would be confiscated and returned at the end of the day to the pupil). We had endless reports of issues with mobile phones, bullying, sexting, showing each other inappropriate things, etc. I imagine those things still go on outside school, but they aren't happening on school premises. The majority of our kids have adapted really well to the new rules, and the atmosphere around school is much happier at break and lunch. The kids are talking to each other, playing actual games (from tig/hide and seek in y7 to football/rugby in older years), joining more clubs, etc. In previous years we had a lot of kids spending all their time on phones without much actual face to face social interaction happening.

Turned off all day, they can ask permission to use it if they need to text or call a parent but have to do so at the office. If they are caught on it, e.g. in the toilets then they have it confiscated for the day and have an after school detention on Friday.

Where I work if they are seen they are taken, a parent has to sign for them.
They are a pain in the bum still. Students are always texting their parents and then their parent rings in and causes an issue over nothing. Student then gets phone confiscated and parent has to be called. Such time wasting.

Ours are encouraged. Teachers will often ask kids to get out their phone to photograph something or use google. I find it strange when DD is texting me about her French class when IN French class. And when I chastise her for it she will say, "Oh no, we're allowed our phones out, mum! I'm not daft enough to get in trouble!!"

She snap chatted me from a walk in PE too, showing trees etc and challenging me to guess where she was. Teacher appeared in her selfie too smiling at the camera.

At ds school they all hand in their phones at registration, the phones are put in a locked box until the end of the day.
Sanctions for anyone who does not hand their phone in.

In my DCs school if they are heard or seen on school premises they are confiscated until after school on the last day of the week. They are strict on it, so there isn't a problem with phone use. They don't have laptops or tablets like some schools, so school will ask them to pull out their phones to use apps in French or Science, or a teacher will tell them to take a photo of something in the class for homework. Even then they are strict, my DS got detention for turning around to show a friend a very innocent photo on his phone.

@parrotonmyshoulder

DC’s schools are allowed them at all times. Some teachers have ‘no phones in lessons’ rules, others have ‘no phones when I’m talking’ rules. I’ve only known the school since Covid and DD seemed to think they ‘had’ to have them in lessons to access google classroom etc. Kids of all year groups have them at break times. I can’t understand how they can manage safeguarding under these circumstances. It’s an enormous school. I’ve been concerned for a while but currently have a very upset child (y8) who has been shown something that stops her sleeping or being in a room alone. Nothing actually bad in this case (easily afraid and generally anxious - we’re dealing with this) but absolutely could have been a pornographic or otherwise illegal/ image or clip. I know I won’t be getting a whole policy change, but don’t really know what to say to school. I thought that we had educated DD well on this stuff, and she thought she knew what to do - but when in a new group, trying to fit in, being a kid, she made the wrong decision.

Explain the incident to the school, don’t apologise for your dd’s reaction, and ask how they will provide assurance it won’t happen again (obviously I know that’s impossible but still).

Yes they can have a phone but it needs to be silent and in their bag. They are not allowed the phone out on school premises. If the phone is heard or seen it is confiscated for 24 hours and a parent/guardian has to collect it. If it is confiscated on a Friday they will get it back on a Monday. The school has a lot of strict rules and I love it.

I would hate children to be allowed their phones in lessons, massive distraction and gives them a legitimate reason to have them in their hands where guaranteed some of them will be looking at other stuff and not what is needed for class. The first time I saw this was on Educating Essex where they all had blackberries in their blazer pockets and were constantly checking for messages from their mates.

If a teacher sees a phone it's confiscated, and only handed back to the parent.

“ no visible phones during the school day rule. So they can have them turned off in their bags but if a teacher sees or hears it we confiscate it. We only return confiscated phones to parents/guardians, not the pupil themselves”

Same at my son’s school. He’s in year 7 so I don’t know if compliance declines as they get older.

They have to be switched off. If a photo needs taking or some online research is needed, then they’re allowed them on.
If the phone isn’t needed in class and someone calls, the student has to put it on loudspeaker.