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Secondary education

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Original poster

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

100 replies

parrotonmyshoulder · 14/10/2021 06:49

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.

OP posts:
trumpisagit · 14/10/2021 10:37

Similar to PP official line is phones should be "off and away" but reality they are used in some lessons, and DS has texted and phoned me from school, so clearly has his phone on - he is quietly rebellious though.

My younger child only turns his on at the end of school

Placido · 14/10/2021 10:50

My DN just start at boarding school and is endlessly sending us videos and messages in the evening and morning - he was never allowed to do this at home. They seem to have free run on their phones.

HerRoyalWitchyness · 14/10/2021 10:54

At DS1s school they're to be turned off during lessons but at breaks they can use them

Hoppinggreen · 14/10/2021 10:56

There’s a phone locker in each form room. When the kids arrive the phones go in the locker and then they get them back at the end of the day. Any infractions result in confiscation until home time and a message home plus detention etc if multiple times

ChicCroissant · 14/10/2021 11:00

DD's school allows phones but they must be silent and in bags during lessons, and used at breaktimes only. Phone confiscated until the end of the day if it makes a noise in lessons or exams (phones must be turned off and handed in during exams along with any paired device such as a watch).

RockinHorseShit · 14/10/2021 11:03

Allowed, but switched off during lessons unless directed others by teacher as part of the lesson

SouthLondonMommy · 14/10/2021 12:31

Put lockers that can't be accessed until the end of the school day so essentially no phones allowed. Its a relatively new policy but I'm supportive.

inferiorCatSlave · 14/10/2021 12:50

Constanly changing and poorly enforced.

Allowed even expected in some lessons, to not allowed on site - this was when DD1 was accidentally injured duing a mixed PE lesson and it was filmed by muliple people on phones and put on social media Hmm- to allowed but not out in school day - to not enforced so kids had them out in breaks - to officially allowed in breaks and outside school and unofficially some teachers expecing apps/phots on phones in lessons.

Lougle · 14/10/2021 13:17

No phone visible between 08.00 and 15.30 (school hours are 08.30-15.00). All devices must be turned off, but may be used if a staff member permits it.

FatAnkles · 14/10/2021 13:34

All phones switched off on entering school grounds until leaving.

No exceptions for breaks.

Research done on computers. If a parent needs to be contacted during school hours, the school receptionist will do it.

I think it's a good thing, encourages good interpersonal skills.

dizzydizzydizzy · 14/10/2021 13:40

I actually think you should ask the school to change policy. Contact the teacher in charge of safeguarding (probably deputy head).

Failing that, contact the chair of governors with your safeguarding concerns because governors have to review such policies regularly.

The school where I am a governor does not allow phones to be switched on during the school day for safeguarding. Kids are allowed to have them in their pockets or bags but they must be switched off while in the premises.

JKDinomum · 14/10/2021 13:43

No use during class unless teachers ask them to. Sometimes they are asked to take a photo of something. Or they are sometimes allowed to play music through headphones while working silently and independently.

Otherwise they are allowed although there is no supposedly a rule no photos but I don't know how much they enforce it.

MerryMarigold · 14/10/2021 13:46

My DC are at 2 different secondaries:

School one: allowed at break, allowed in certain lessons depending on teacher, apparently used for 'research' and accessing Google classroom 🙄 but seems to be used for sending messages (on silent) and messing around. If phone rings or buzzes it is confiscated. Ds1 tends to sit on phone through all breaks and also agonises over having a good phone. I dislike it.

School two: for school years 7-9 phones are to be off and in bag. Not to be seen all day including break. If spotted at any time it is removed and needs to be picked up by parent from office. This is a relatively new rule. Before that they were allowed at break. DC don't care what phone they have and actually socialize in break times. I like this rule!

ThirtyCharacterUsernamesOnly30 · 14/10/2021 13:50

At my daughter's secondary they have to hand them in at the start of the day.

At my son's secondary they had to have them off and out of sight. They weren't supposed to switch them on at break but he did text me a couple of times asking me to bring his PE kit in. 🙄

LolaSmiles · 14/10/2021 13:51

“ 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
That's the same as my school.

KateTheEighth · 14/10/2021 13:58

Not allowed at all during the school day

"I see it, I hear it, I take it" or something like that

After school detention if you're caught

I'm happy with that tbh

I much prefer them playing football or chatting at break times rather than being on their phones

bettertimesarecomingnow · 14/10/2021 14:05

Our kids are on them constantly and refuse to put them away

I have the red mobile phone sign up all the time but it makes no difference and all I can do is confiscate it for the lesson and then give it back

It's a bloody nightmare - they usually refuse to hand them over when I ask as well. Behaviour is not good in my school :(

00100001 · 14/10/2021 14:08

@Toastandcrumpets

I don’t know about social life but I don’t like draconian policies around phones .

They are a part of life and children should be taught and encouraged to use them responsibly.

Do you work in a school? Confused I'm going to guess not..

SO MANY schools have huge issues with kids filming secretly in changing rooms, classrooms etc. sending each other pornography, bullying, sexting etc. Doesn't matter how much responsibility you're teaching kids - they're (on the whole) prats that can't be trusted with things like mobile phones.

The easiest thing to do is have them hand in phones, lock them away - and then if found with a phone, confiscate it and hand to parent.

00100001 · 14/10/2021 14:11

@LetItGoHome

My son has his phone turned on and on him at all times. He also looks at it whenever he needs to throughout lessons. He needs his phone to help manage a medical condition. There are now more and more children needing them for legit reasons. They can't be banned in schools. Kids need access to technology for many reasons.
but let's pretend phones didn't exist, you'd fond another way to manage his condition, surely?
MerryMarigold · 14/10/2021 15:01

Ds1 was shown pornography in Y7 in p.e changing rooms. He was so upset he actually told me. I then probed as to what type and it was definitely not 'just' topless women but was pornographic video sex. He was upset because he didn't like it but everyone else liked it and was laughing. This was Y7. He's now Y11 and no way he'd tell me these days, only God knows what goes on.

MerryMarigold · 14/10/2021 15:03

Of course for medical conditions such as diabetes there could be exceptions. There won't be very many diabetic children in a school.

MrsAvocet · 14/10/2021 15:21

Officially not allowed at our school, except for 6th formers who are allowed to use them in breaks.
The supposed rule is that if a pupil brings a phone to school they have to hand it in at reception and collect it at the end of the day. Hardly anyone does so, and I bet the Reception staff are relieved. Imagine the logistics of trying to reunite what would probably be in the region of 1000 pupils with the right phone every day? Especially given that something like two thirds of pupils are dashing to get their buses. It would be completely unworkable.
I am sure all the staff are well aware that the vast majority of kids have phones on them but as long as they don't see or hear them they don't go looking. However, if a pupil does get caught with a phone then it does get confiscated without exception, and will be returned to a parent after a day or the pupil after a week.
I am not sure why they don't just make that the rule and ditch the "leave it at reception" nonsense. I wonder if it's because it absolves them of any responsibility for phone related issues? After all, a child isn't likely to report a lost/stolen/damaged phone that they "didn't have" at school are they? Or maybe I'm just getting cynical in my old age!

Toastandcrumpets · 14/10/2021 15:43

Sorry to disappoint @00100001 - school teacher of eighteen years!

MsAwesomeDragon · 14/10/2021 18:37

@LetItGoHome

My son has his phone turned on and on him at all times. He also looks at it whenever he needs to throughout lessons. He needs his phone to help manage a medical condition. There are now more and more children needing them for legit reasons. They can't be banned in schools. Kids need access to technology for many reasons.
In my school, where we have a policy of phones being switched off completely and not seen it heard, any pupils who need their phone for medical purposes are highlighted as such on registers and the child has a pass to show if/when their phone goes off or they need to check it. Those pupils are absolutely allowed to have their phones available at all times. They aren't allowed to use their phones for texting, phoning or anything else though, same as the other kids.
GherkinsOnToast · 14/10/2021 20:23

Phone allowed but off and out of sight. The do not ban them totally as they say the students are learning restraint by having them but not being allowed to use them. As they move up to 4th/5th form then they occasionally use them for Kahoot quizzes.

Anyone caught on their phone can collect it from the Head Teacher at 3.45. if a phone is removed 3 times then 3rd time the parents are asked to collect the phone and have meeting with student and head teacher.