Secondary. Can I ask what your school’s mobile phone policy is please?

[OddGoingsOn]

Just that really! What’s your policy? Can students have phones but have to be off, can they use them in lessons for educational purposes, is there a complete ban? My school is just looking at our policy so I just wondered what other schools do.

Thank you!

If they have them, we mustn't see or hear them.
Includes sixth form

11-16 school. Phones must be switched off and at bottom of bag. No use allowed onsite. If we see a phone out it is confiscated until the end of the day and they get an after school detention.

Since this was brought in the children actually talk to each other at break times, and the younger ones still run around and play. Previously they sat in groups staring at their screens.

If we see it or hear it, we take it.

no phones between 8:30am and 6pm (boarding school). They can use in the boarding house.

First offence in a term they loose it for 24hrs, second time 48hrs etc… If not boarding at the weekend they can take their phone home but it returns to reception first thing Monday.

Lots of grumbling at first but just accepted now.

Phones not to be seen or heard between 8:50 and 3:30, fairly well adhered to, fortunately as follow up is somewhat lax. State comp.

No phones to be switched on or in sight from beginning to end of day. Not naive enough to think they're not used in the loos at break etc but adhered yo otherwise. Sanction is removal until end of day or following day if period 5.

Sixth form college. Phones out and used as a learning tool all the time.

As long as they don't take or make phone calls in class, we have no issues.

If they did need to take a call, they let us know and step into the hallway. To take it. E.g. Medical appt call backs, CAMHs calls, from a parent etc.

State comprehensive here. For KS3-4, phones can be off in bags but must not be seen or heard during the school day. It's incredibly rare that they are, but if they are it's confiscated and a parent needs to come it to get it back. In the sixth form it's quite the opposite, they can use them in their communal areas, and use it in lessons at the discretion of the teacher. I worked at a school where all students could use their phones at break and lunch, and the sanction for using phones in lessons was to confiscate it until the end of the day. Whatever you do, don't follow that policy, it was a nightmare.

Ks3 need to switch their phones off and keep them in their bags at all time. Ks4 can use theirs at break and lunchtime but not in class. If we hear it, we just remind them to switch it off, but if they are caught using it, they get it taken off them. They are not an issue and I've only ever once had to confiscate one phone here and the rare time a phone does go off or I hear a notification buzz through, the kids don't get excited like they did in other schools because no one is getting read the riot act. In many cases, the kids just ignore it and continue with the lesson.

On site out of sight. If we see or hear we confiscate and parents have to come in to pick. New slt recently changed it to kids getting phone back same day. We all complained. Surprise surprise phones were coming out much more and causing lots more problems. They've now gone back to parents picking up.

Switched off/ silent and out of sight, including 6th form. It is widely ignored and kids come in wearing air pods all the time. Enforced at KS3 but rarely with Y10 and above. When senior leaders are too busy/ scared to challenge kids and confiscate phones even when they are blatantly out in front of them, there is little you can do.

In Victoria there's a statewide ban: phones to be off and in lockers all day.

This really helped, as school-imposed bans personalised it, resulting in arguments, while state interventions made them the bad guy, and the tension really lifted, few rows and high levels of compliance.

Not helpful for the UK, I know.

KS3/4 no phones to be seen on site, at all, seen and it is confiscated to the end of the next school day - Friday is a bad day to be caught!

Sixth Form - only allowed in common room, can be used to listen to music in the library but not to be seen or heard, not allowed in lessons unless specific permission is sought.

Very few confiscations happen, I have been there 4 years and only seen one when a student picked up their blazer upside down and it fell out!