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 ?

Never had a kid refuse to be sent out?
Nope!
I've never heard of that happening to any other staff members either.

Embraced at ours. Freely used in corridors at break, can be used in lessons under teacher direction. Don’t think we get any more cyber nonsense for it.

I'm not so concerned about the cyber nonsense ( I am sure it goes on but can't say I have been impacted by it lately) as them walking into the classroom gassing on it, plugging themselves into headphones and receiving texts and phone calls from their mums!! Also selfies...

Parent here.
My DC left secondary school 4 + years ago. Mobile phones were freely allowed and they used to tell me that texting carried on throughout lessons and that phones were a big disruption in class. It was a rural school so there was a need for contacting parents when buses were late or missed.
Fast forward to now and one DC is a secondary school teacher in another large rural school. He mentioned the phone policy to me as it was "not like when he was at school".
Pupils are permitted to carry them in a bag but they must not be seen heard or used anywhere on the premises without permission. It is fully adhered to. The reason for the policy is primarily to do with filming (each other or staff) and photographs.

Mobiles allowed throughout the school day, but MUST be switched off in classrooms unless the teacher allows it. Confiscation if seen using a phone in a classroom with no return until a letter of apology written co-signed by a parent, so next day at the earliest. No exceptions. Vigorous enforcement from the first day of year 7 to get the message across. They have to allow use during the day as they're heavily into online apps, i.e. online text books, show my homework, a school "VLE", etc so an outright ban or handing in at the start of day simply wouldn't work.

We confiscate on sight or sound (e.g beeps/rings from a pocket or bag). Give to the head and he locks them away until 4.40pm that Friday. Second time in the term then parents have to come in to collect.

The only place they're allowed to be used is inside the sixth form common room. We have a network of school buses (private) and students have to ask the bus monitor's permission to use their phones on the bus.

Quite a few ks3 kids don't have phones or aren't allowed by their parents to bring them to school. At ks4 and ks5 they tend to have them switched off or on silent in their blazer pockets. I would say I see (and then confiscate) a phone every 3 to 4 weeks, and I think I'm pretty vigilant/strict.

Everyone in the school seems to enforce the policy. I think it works well.

Should have added, all of our students have laptops so they use those for all online learning, to receive emails/resources/tasks from teachers and then can also use them at breaktime to listen to music or watch videos via headphones, read news etc. sites, do homework related research, and play games. The web filtering seems to be pretty good; the parents receive an automatic email each week with all of the sites their child's accessed and when, and the I.T. team can also flag anything inappropriate to teaching staff and parents.

Banned for ours. Any phone seen or heard during the day is confiscated and must then be collected by a parent. Luckily neither of mine have been caught!

I teach in secondary in Australia. Phones are allowed at all times except exams, but on silent not to be taken out. If a test is being run, phones are put out on the desk, face down and turned off.

The number of nuisance users is small, and then the phone is confiscated and given to HOY who exacts condign punishment, depending on how often this has happened.

No phones for students or staff at my place. We're not allowed to use them at all at school. One colleague was threatened with a formal warning if she attempted to use the phone (in her p&p) to contact a garage about her car that had broken down.

Good Lord.

We desperately need a policy change. Officially, only meant to be out at break and lunch and not to be taken out either in or between lessons. Meant to be confiscated by staff if seen and only given back to a parent or cater, but SLT give back the phone if the parent phones to say they 'can't get there' or kicks off because it was 'so unfair' etc. Serious impediment to learning.

Students seem to think 'It's my mum!' is an excuse to message in lessons.

I don't care if it's Gandhi - give me the phone.

pengggwn : I shall try that line!

In our school they are not to be seen in school buildings and will be confiscated if seen. I'm
Not sure how strict all teachers are as we do get reminders in briefing to stick to policy.

Students are allowed to use them in break times but only in the yard.

I have heard of teachers making them leave their phone if they need the toilet in lessons as we have had issues of students going to the toilet just to update social media.

Mind parts of the school have no signal and other parts it's pretty poor so that might help matters 😀

Allows during breaks and lunch time. Not allowed in class. Can be confiscated if seen on one during a lesson - either get it back at the end of the lesson or at the end of the day, depending if you're a repeat offender.

Banning them in the corridors etc seems a bit far etc. During their breaks they should be able to use them or do whatever, as long as it's not causing a nuisance or hurting anyone.

Hats wrong with them receiving texts and phonecalls from their parents? Surely it depends on timing! Of course during lessons their phone should be on silent, but don't see why mum can't text if it's important - "Change of plan, left keys under he mat, be out when you get in". As long as it's read and maybe replied to during a break and not a lesson...

alpineibex

It is disruptive to learning to have phones out. No need to receive that message in a lesson. An emergency can be dealt with at reception.

Pengggwn

I did say not in class, but during breaks etc. Some posters say they see kids taking phone calls in the corridors etc which I don't see as a problem as it's not in lesson :S

Banned. Blind eye turned at break/lunch. 6th form can have them, but I get them to put them away cos their eyes slide to them constantly. I'm torn, cos I think they can be useful I. Some circumstances. Would save a fortune on photocopying articles etc.

Name fail

ZuriWanders247

Yup

Look, the way I look at it, schools wouldn't ban phones on school premises if use at break and lunch was working. If it's a problem, sort it out. If students can't stick to a reasonable policy, bring in a less reasonable one.

At dd's school, phones must be turned off and out of sight from the second they walk through the school gates or else it's immediate consequence with detention and confiscation.
One reason I love her school!

Dds school - use is banned. If you’re seen with one then it’s confiscated until the next half term break(!) unless your parent comes to retrieve it from HOY.

Ds’s school. Handed in in registration. Each form room has a mobile phone locker and each form has a mobile phone prefect. They are locked during the day and then returned at registration before they leave at the end of the afternoon.