Secondary teachers : tell me your school's mobile phone policy!

[Piggywaspushed]

Just that, really. Bit of a snap survey.

And is the policy adhered to/ applied/ does it work ?

Banned. Confiscated if seen and everyone sticks to it, of course with the occasional argument. Yr11 occasionally allowed them to use in lessons- apps etc. Normal comp school.

Not to be used in school time. Seems to work. It's a rural school. Mobile phones are useful in case kids miss the bus or it breaks down. (That's happened!)

Does this include corridors fallulah?

Yes, anywhere on school property in school hours. They all appear as soon as the bell goes and they're out the gate.

My kids' school takes them in in the morning and hands them out again at home time. I think prefects are in charge of this.

Interesting.

Banned on site, confiscated if seen plus detention, parents have to come in to retrieve for third offence.

Phones were an awful nuisance before policy introduction, even good kids snapchatting in lessons. They disappeared almost overnight once a few kids had theirs taken. Bloody marvellous.

Not to be seen or heard on site. After the end of the day it's ok eg to let parents know they are staying late etc. It took a massive crack down but it has worked.

Well, we're mighty out of step so far

Banned for use in school and confiscated if seen.
We know students have them as we are rural and kids get school and service buses home.
The expectation is they are off and in the bottom of your bag/ locker.

In honesty the kids are great about it.

They talk to each other and don't spend free time glued to a screen.

The fact they have them for home time (bus etc) keeps everyone happy too.

Hate it.

Kids wander about corridors on phones, even though (apparently) school policy says 'only use at breaks and lunchtimes'. Kids are on them in between lessons. In lessons they are supposed to be on silent and in bags - but half the time you look up even Y7 kids are taking a photo of the whiteboard with the HW on it because they are too lazy to write it down and 'everyone else does it'. They are surprised if you pull them up on it. The HT thinks that they are 'useful' and 'have a place in lessons'. Not in mine they don't.

This is the only school I have ever worked in where pupils were allowed phones on them.

I hate mobile phones.

Generally allowed at all times, except during lessons (unless the teacher gives permission). It works and I've never seen anyone walk round with their eyes stuck to their phone.

We allow them at break and lunchtimes. They are to be put away at the start of the school day and not to be seen except at break and lunch. If they are seen they are supposed to be confiscated until the end of the day.

In reality, a lot of teachers allow them to use a phone as a calculator (they've all got proper bloody calculators in their bags as we insist on the proper ones in maths lessons!), Or to take photos of homework, etc. Then those of us adhering to policy look like the bad guys and have to deal with stroppy teens who don't like the inconsistency (obviously!!)

Confiscated for 48 hours if seen anywhere on the premises- including before and after school. Parents can come into school to collect within the 48 hours. Isolation if they refuse to hand over their phone. On the whole the kids comply.

Hmm, they are fully banned, not to be seen on the premises, but in reality if you confiscate a phone you are expected to phone home before 3pm to tell the parent to come get it.
Slt don't bother half the time, I don't have time to ring home for the kids that have them out as it involves a 5 minute rant from the parent everytime. School office staff are too busy to do it so it's us or nothing.
So in reality phones are fucking everywhere and I hate it.

If not to be seen or heard - if so supposed to be confiscated.
I do give them a chance to put on silent if they ping in my lesson. But, if they're blatantly out I confiscate.

Not to be seen or heard during the school day. If they are out or go off they're confiscated and put in the safe and will only be returned to a parent/ carer. Love it, no grey areas! Very very rare for one to go off and have never seen one out. I think CSE was a major consideration in my school's decision to ban them, at least now we know kids aren't being groomed online when they're at school.

Banned. If we see it or hear it then we confiscate it.

Students only get it back when home have spoken to SLT/Head of Year.

We follow this meticulously.

I like it. Phones on site seems to cause no end of issues in my experience.

Not a teacher, but 3 dc at different schools.
As with most. Not to be seen or heard anywhere on the premises.
Confiscated if are seen or heard.

Banned, confiscated if seen and handed into the school office to be collected a week later. 6th formers allowed to use in canteen during study periods and common room during break and lunch but not in corridors or classrooms.

against the grain here:
small private school in Hants. Phones allowed at morning break and lunch but not in lessons unless agreed/requested by teacher for academic work (Hegarty maths, other legit research)

pupils are still interacting humanly too.

That's what we have but is totally flouted. Students arrive into the room on their phones; get them out as soon as you tell them to pack away, wander down the corridors with them, go to the toilet with them, and consult them at all opportunities. Big changes are needed. We are supposed to take them if they are seen in lessons but this causes huge kerfuffle.

That’s where we were at Piggy, it’s amazing what a difference properly banning them has made.

I am gathering intelligence for my campaign...

If it helps Piggy all staff were issued with confiscation bags with sealed double sided tape and carbon receipts. I think they were either council or police issue. The confiscated phones were locked in the safe until a parent came to claim them. If any student put up a fuss an 'on call' was immediate. It's a bit on a pain in my subject as a personal camera is very useful but the wider benefits are huge.