New phone policy

[whoknewitwouldbethiscrazy]

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

I would actually call the police if they tried to take my child's phone for longer than the end of a school day. That's theft.

And yes, I agree my children's shouldn't have their phones out at school. They should be turned off in the bottom of their school bags. But shit happens, often in the form of their 'friends'. But our schedule is insane with all kinds of changes and travel to various things, and I need to be able to reach them after school hours.

And the police wouldn’t entertain you because it isn’t theft. Parents who behave like this are the root of a lot of the problems in schools 🙄

That's just hilarious. Good luck with engaging officers to take up your cause.

Show's just how out of touch you are you think the police have time to talk to a school because your DC's phone has been legally confiscated.

Round here, theft involves a car of approx £70k being stolen and even that, it takes a weeks for anything to turn up that might help crack the case. Anything less than that and they're not interested.

Parents really don't know when to pull back these days, do they? It's all about me me me me me me me me.....

These sound like excellent rules. Just buy your son a cheap "normal" watch for school, and then he can wear his smart watch the rest of the time.
Nobody needs to take phones or gadgets into school, and parents have to support the schools.

It sounds like a fairly normal policy to me OP, most school that allow phones to be brought in don't allow them to be out/visible/used in lessons. Same with the (connected) watches. Classrooms and exam halls have clocks.

My advice would be not to wear the watch, if he's going in to Year 11 then it's just one more year (and probably not even a full year at that). He can't wear it for exams either.

No, it isn't theft. The law allows schools to seize any prohibited item, which includes items banned by the school rules. They can retain it or dispose of it. They do not have to return it to the owner. They must, however, act in a way that is fair, reasonable and proportionate taking into account the pupil's age, any special educational needs or disability, and religious requirements. If you called the police, they would ignore you.

They can't dispose of their phones. It's not like they are taking a knife or coke. Most would prefer having them to and from school to feel safe. Although yes they shouldn't be used in school it will be hard to break the habit though.

Why are you worried about his final school year? Have you supported the schools policy or are you winding him up and making him angry by telling him it is excessive?

If he doesn't break the rules there will be no problems. Tell him if he does break the rules then compounds that by not handing over his phone/watch and gets a sanction you will be taking both the phone/watch off him at home instead until the school exclusion/sanction is completed.

You are making a rule not to have phones in school into a bigger deal than it needs to be.

It's a good rule. It will be of benefit to your DS in his final year because it will ensure his teachers are focused on the lesson they are teaching rather than monitoring phone/smart watch use. You have no idea how much of a problem and distraction these items are in school. The school will have been having serious issues before coming up with this policy.

You should be happy, because this is an important year for him and his education is the priority, not step counting or whatever he wanted to do with the fitness watch. Support the school. Tell him not to take the watch to school. Then it will not be confiscated. You or he would only have to be concerned about the strongest sanction if he was planning to continue repeatedly wearing it, despite the rule and warnings.

😂I would actually call the police if they tried to take my child's phone for longer than the end of a school day. That's theft.

That's exactly why teachers are leaving the profession in droves

OP hasn't returned so I smell wind-up