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Secondary education

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Original poster

New phone policy

85 replies

whoknewitwouldbethiscrazy · 01/09/2022 22:22

My ds is going into Yr11, his school has intoduced a very severe mobile phone/smart watch policy. They must not have phones/smart watches/headphones visible (even outline in a pocket) inside the school gates. They tried to make it on the buses too but seem to have backed down on that one. The sanctions are; 1st offence - phone/watch confiscated until the following Friday (so potentially 2 weeks) + isolation for 1 day; 2nd offence - phone/watch confiscated for 1 calendar month + 3 days isolation; 3rd offence - phone/watch confiscated until the end of that half term + 5 day isolation. Refusal to hand over the phone/watch means exclusion and then the sanction. Leaving aside the fact that if they don't break this new rule they don't have anything to worry about, does anyone know if it's legal for a school to confiscate a phone/watch for up to 7 weeks? My son has worked really hard to save up for a Garmin watch ( not sure if they will even view that as a smart watch) and would refuse to hand it over. He has a very strong sense of right and wrong and would definitely refuse, he is really angry about this new policy, even though he's rarely been in trouble. I am really worried for his final school year. Any advice? Thanks

OP posts:
DaffodilGreen · 02/09/2022 08:39

DDs school had similar policy all through and it really helped crack down on bullying and their GCSE results were through the roof this summer as no phone distractions in class.

They only had a week as max confiscation but parents could come in to get the phone before then if they asked. Many times the school would say that instead of confiscation, the child could hand it in to the office before school and collect afterwards. That was a good compromise.

Overall a complete ban on phones being seen in school was wonderful.

PAFMO · 02/09/2022 08:41

If he's that attached to his posh watch, then he won't break the rules to risk losing it.

TeenDivided · 02/09/2022 08:44

I think it isn't too hard to not wear a smart watch (banned in exams etc anyway) and keep your phone out of sight in your bag. No point banning phones but allowing smart watches.

If they are going to have an 'out of sight' rule then they probably feel they need strict deterrents to show they are serious about it.

Damnautocorrect · 02/09/2022 08:48

My childrens school is the same. They soon learn

AuntieStella · 02/09/2022 08:48

You need to email to ask about the Garmin - and specify which model. Even the basic GPS models can be set to show notifications from the phone, and the more advanced ones have more 'smart' functions. So they may well fall foul of the ban.

No I don't know what a reasonable length of confiscation is - the policy you describe seems excessive.

ElephantsintheCupboard · 02/09/2022 08:49

Well, could he just not take a normal watch to school then?

I don't know the legal ins and outs about it but it does seem a bit strange that schools are allowed to confiscate pupils' possessions for longer than a school day

abovedecknotbelow · 02/09/2022 08:50

It's a good rule. He he has such a sense of right and wrong he'll follow the rules won't he?

justaladyLOL · 02/09/2022 08:52

Good thing
Why does child need to have a phone on at school
If he is not in lessons he should be socialising and making real friends not fake nonsense o na screen

JubileeTissues · 02/09/2022 08:54

I'd love this rule. Makes sense.

He can wear a standard watch for school

Whatwouldscullydo · 02/09/2022 08:54

Hes year 11 not a nervous yr 7 about to get lost on their first day. What's he need Garmin watch at school for?

Seriously we all survived with the talking clock and/or a a cheap analogue watch.

He will be fine without it. He can wear it the rest of the time.

Fuuuuuckit · 02/09/2022 08:54

Great rule. Zero distractions and much less opportunity for trouble (bullying/theft etc).

My last school had a zero phone/confiscation/exclusion policy and parents had zero come-back if phones got lost or damaged at school.

Alvinne · 02/09/2022 08:55

Support the school! They're doing this for the children's benefit. Tell him not to wear the watch to school.

Ragwort · 02/09/2022 08:57

Sensible rule.

Starlightstarbright1 · 02/09/2022 08:59

I wish my DS's school had amuch stricker phone policy.

Be very clear these are the consequences...

supersonicginandtonic · 02/09/2022 08:59

I don't think it's a good rule at all. I personally think it's completely wrong and they have no right to confiscate phones, it's personal property. I'd be straight up to school to pick it up.
My friends daughter had to use hers to tell her mum she was in the toilets at school, terrified of the girls outside threatening to beat her up.
Kids have had to message parents to say buses haven't shown up.
That they're Poorly because school are that focused on attendance they won't send poorly kids home.
Obviously if they have them out in lesson, they should face consequences but that policy is extreme. It's about time schools started focusing time on learning rather than uniform abs phones all the time.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 02/09/2022 09:09

Can he get a cheap digi watch for school, keep his Garmin at home, and keep his phone in his bag?

I agree with the principal of phone sanctions, but those do seem very extreme.At DS's school it's a week max.

TeenDivided · 02/09/2022 09:10

My friends daughter had to use hers to tell her mum she was in the toilets at school, terrified of the girls outside threatening to beat her up.

No one would see her use it in the toilets

Kids have had to message parents to say buses haven't shown up.

Adult in charge would give permission to use, or step off school premises to use then step back in.

That they're Poorly because school are that focused on attendance they won't send poorly kids home.

If that is really the case then there are bigger issues than phone policy.

TeenDivided · 02/09/2022 09:12

My DDs' school took the view that benefits of phones outweighed the disadvantages, but I can absolutely see why other schools take the opposite view.

Tollystar · 02/09/2022 09:12

Is it confiscated-confiscated, or confiscated until home time each day?

NotQuiteHere · 02/09/2022 09:20

The latest guidance from the government says:
"Schools’ general power to discipline enables a member of staff to confiscate,
retain or dispose of a pupil’s property as a disciplinary penalty, where reasonable to do so.

The law protects members of staff from liability in any proceedings brought against them for any loss of, or damage to, any item they have confiscated, provided they acted lawfully."

Here "lawfully" means "reasonably" from the point of view of the member of staff.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1091132/Searching__Screening_and_Confiscation_guidance_July_2022.pdf

So congratulations to us all, teachers can dispose of a pupil's property without any consequences.

JudgeRindersMinder · 02/09/2022 09:20

The rules have been made crystal clear.

Does your son apply his “very strong sense of right and wrong” to himself, or only to others?

glamourousindierockandroll · 02/09/2022 09:30

To answer your question, it is legal because it has been clearly communicated, and as long as they take reasonable measures to ensure the wellbeing of the child e.g allowing them to use school phones to communicate with home if necessary then they're not breaking a law.

You can only ask whether a Garmin falls under the rule, but I'm afraid I'd also question why he would need to wear it during the school day. I can see that it is annoying but also smart tech is by it's very nature constantly feeding us distracting data and notifications. Especially in Y11, he should do himself the favour of being able to immerse himself in whatever lesson he's in.

mrsm43s · 02/09/2022 09:37

If your son "has a very strong sense of right and wrong", he'll know to follow the clearly communicated school rules, and therefore won't get his phone/watch confiscated, will he? Because he will have left it at home (or left it in his bag if he must take it to school), as per the school rules.

Non issue.

If your son chooses to disobey the school rules, then he needs to accept the punishment for that. The school have been very clear about both the rules and the sanctions that will be applied if they are broken.

Entirely up to your son if he chooses to misbehave and break the school rules, and he fully deserves to have is phone/watch confiscated if he does.

Hoppinggreen · 02/09/2022 09:37

At the DCs school every form room has a phone locker where the phones go during registration and then they are collected from there before home time. Any phones seen during the school day must be taken to the office for collection at the end of the day. On the second time this happens the parent gets an email and on the 3rd the phone is only released to a parent
Its a small school though so I’m not sure how this would be workable in a large one.
I support the policy, no need for phones during the day. There have been exceptions where the dc are allowed phones such as post GCSE or in one case when a school mate died

RaRaRaspoutine · 02/09/2022 09:59

You can turn off message and calls alerts on all smartwatches, inc Garmin ones.

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