Can School Confiscate Phone Overnight?

[BooksAndFootie]

No doubt my SS (15) was being a knob in class and deserved to have his phone confiscated during school.

But can the teacher keep it overnight? They said they will return it at the end of the week?

Yes, take it away during school hours but what happens if it's damaged when he has it returned? Is the teacher allowed to keep it out of school hours?

Not sure if I should be annoyed or not..? What do you think?

Check the school policy. Where I work if it is not a first offense it can be taken overnight and parents have to collect it the next day.

I think it's fairly common for schools to confiscate phones that are used in lessons. One school near us confiscates them until the end of term so overnight sounds quite tame. I assume they have somewhere to lock it so I imagine it will be safe from damage (or safer than in the hands of your average teenager in any case).

I suppose on a technicality you could argue that its YOUR phone, as you pay for it.

Legally they're not allowed to, it is your property.

I haven’t voted because you have asked two very different questions.

Can a school confiscate a phone overnight? Yes. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cf5f2a4239310011b7b916/Mobile_phones_in_schools_guidance.pdf

Should they? That is entirely a matter of opinion.

This is incorrect.

Persnally I am very glad they do- end of the week even better.

Only massive inconvenience will have an effect.

Yes, they can.

Whether they should be allowed to is another matter.

1 night and I wouldn’t be kicking up a fuss.

1 week or over a weekend I wouldn’t be happy and I’d be going in the school.

End of term? 0% chance that would happen and Id be straight in to collect my property.

Id focus on being annoyed with the SS for dicking about and support the teacher in the sanction. Let them inconvenience him.

It’s not what you asked.

Yes they can.
And the 'legally it is your property' argument will get you nowhere and make you look stupid.
Confiscating until the end of the day is no punishment nor deterrent. Many schools make parents collect phones, as inconveniencing parents is a bigger deterrent.

OK so as this is DSSs school policy I wasn't familiar with how they confiscate property as it's a different school to my DDs.

They state the following:

"Mobile phones are allowed in school and are to be switched off and in the student's bag between the hours of 08:50 and 15:25. If a phone is seen or heard between those times it may be confiscated and returned to the student at break time the following day. If the phone is confiscated on a Friday it will be returned to the student at the end of the day, but must be handed in to a teacher for an overnight confiscation on the following Monday. Parents will be notified if a mobile phone is to be confiscated."

I had no idea schools were allowed to confiscate personal property out of school hours! Well, you know what they say... every day's a school day...!

Thanks, lots of clear info here, so well worth a read, including:

'Schools have the power to confiscate mobile phones or similar devices as a disciplinarypenalty. The law protects staff from liability in any proceedings brought against them forany loss or damage to items they have confiscated as a sanction, providing they haveacted lawfully. Staff should consider whether the confiscation is proportionate and consider any special circumstances relevant to the case.

Headteachers are backed by the DfE to confiscate mobile phones and similar devices for the length of time they deem proportionate. In considering whether a confiscation is a proportionate penalty, schools should considerwhat disciplinary outcome the confiscation is intended to achieve and whether there are other ways to achieve the same outcome. Confiscation as a sanction can be an effective deterrent for a specificpupil or a general deterrent for all pupils at the school.'

Yes I agree - inconveniencing teens is a great tool for getting a point across and reminding them who's boss! I happily confiscate my DDs phones if they start pushing those boundaries.

In this instance I was just curious about schools confiscating phones as I've never encountered this before.

DSS needs to learn and I'm sure this will make him think twice before being a knob in class again!!

That seems a pretty reasonable policy to me. Students are permitted to have their phones for travel to and from school. I bet your DSS won’t do it again.

It is worth pointing out to him that breaking the very simple expectation that his phone is not seen and not heard all day makes it much more likely that the school will impose a total ban on phones.

I would say it's not proportionate to not hand back at the end of the school day. I can't see anything else in the policy.

I've worked at one school where more than 2 breaches in a half term meant parents had to collect the phone- this was a nightmare. Also a school where they locked the phones in the safe for 2 weeks!

It's much more reasonable to hand them back every night but increase the sanction I.e. to a SLT detention.

Well it'll yea h him a lesson!
My kids school doesn't allow phones on the premesis and confiscates til end of term ... over heard it being implemented but it's bit a bad thing IMO

They are allowed to. You agreed to their behaviour policy.

As a teacher I completely disagree with you. Best way to stop kids taking phones out in lessons is to be able to confiscate them over night and parents collect them. It is meant to be a nightmare. The purpose of the punishment is to cause a nightmare for the parents / kids.

Because do you know what else is a nightmare? Kids taking phones out in lessons.

Don't stand for it. Go to the police if they refuse to hand it over. Theft! Simple as that

Yes they can. If its in the school policy

Most schools have a phone policy these days.

Dds school policy is confiscated until the end of term unless a parent goes to collect it after a week.