Mobile phones in school - Guidance for schools on prohibiting phones during the school day.

MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOL - GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS ON PROHIBITING PHONES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.

Updated 29th April 2024. 

Introduction

 

·      By the age of 12, 97% of children own a mobile phone

·      The majority (63%) of 8-11-year-olds use social media and messaging apps, rising to 93% for children between 12 and 15 years old

·      The National Behaviour Survey (2021-2022) found that 29% of secondary school pupils (rising to 40% for key stage 4 pupils) reported mobile phones being used without permission in most of their lessons

·      Mobile phones have already been prohibited or restricted in one in four countries worldwide

·      Screen time can displace positive activities

·      One in five children have experienced bullying online

·      Three in ten pupils cite making and maintaining friendships and their mental health as a cause of worry, anxiety or depression

 

The DFE has issued guidelines regarding the prohibition of mobile phones in schools. These guidelines detail the steps for establishing, implementing, and maintaining a policy that bans the use of mobile phones on school grounds. It's advisable to consult these guidelines alongside the following:

·      School behaviour

·      Ensuring children's safety in education

 

Schools must establish conducive learning environments, but mobile phones, owned by 97% of 12-year-olds, pose distractions. They disrupt classrooms and hinder learning, affecting both individuals and teachers. To address this, schools can ban phones, promoting safety and focus. Guidance emphasises clarity, consistency, and supporting staff, aligning with behaviour and online safety guidelines. It offers resources for relationship, sex, and health education, emphasising safe technology use. While non-statutory, it complements behaviour guidance, fostering peaceful, secure environments. However, it doesn't cover all legal aspects and shouldn't replace relevant laws.

 

Who is the guidance for?

This guidance is intended for a wide range of educational stakeholders in England, including school leaders, staff, governing bodies, and proprietors across various types of schools such as maintained schools, academies, free schools, non-maintained special schools, and independent schools. It also applies to local authorities. The term "maintained school" includes various types of schools, while "academy" encompasses academy schools and alternative provision academies. Additionally, the term "schools" encompasses all types of schools, including maintained, non-maintained, or independent schools, as well as maintained nursery schools and pupil referral units.

 

Prohibiting the use of Mobile Phones in School:

Schools are advised to implement a mobile phone policy prohibiting their use throughout the school day, including lessons, breaks, and lunchtime. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs should adhere to school-specific policies, excluding mobile phones. Boarding and residential schools should enforce bans during teaching hours and establish usage policies for students' remaining time. Sixth form students may have limited access, reflecting increased independence, but without undermining the overall policy. This ensures student welfare and supports educational focus.

 

Developing a Policy:

A school's policy on mobile phone prohibition can be integrated into its behaviour guidelines or stand alone. It must be easily accessible, align with the school's ethos, and simple to understand and follow. The policy's implementation should support students in meeting behaviour standards regarding phones. School leaders must tailor policies to their specific context, considering factors like student age and needs. Examples include no phones on premises, surrendering phones upon arrival, storing them securely, or ensuring they're never used, seen, or heard during the day. This list isn't exhaustive, but highlights potential approaches.

 

Communicating the Policy to Pupils and Parents

Effective communication of the school's behaviour policy, which includes the prohibition of mobile phone usage, is crucial for fostering and preserving the school's culture while making expectations clear to everyone involved. School leaders must ensure that all staff, students, and parents are well-acquainted with the policy and its implementation procedures.

 

The Role of Staff

All staff members are expected to uniformly implement the school's policy regarding mobile phone usage. Exceptions may be in place for instance to issue homework, issue rewards and sanctions.

 

The Role of Pupils

Students must understand the school's mobile phone policy, with reminders given yearly and as needed. They should learn about phone risks in and out of school to grasp the reasons behind the ban.

 

The Role of Parents

Parents play a significant role in supporting the school's policy against mobile phone usage and should be prompted to reinforce and discuss this policy at home with their children. Parents wishing to contact pupils during the school day should make contact via the school office.

 

The use of Sanctions

The DfE provides guidance on lawful sanctions in schools, including for mobile phone policy breaches. Schools can use discretion in applying sanctions like confiscation and detentions. They have the authority to confiscate phones as discipline, with staff legally protected for any loss or damage, provided actions are lawful. Proportionality and special circumstances should be considered. The DfE backs headteachers in confiscating phones for a reasonable duration.

 

Searching Pupils

Headteachers, or staff they designate, possess a statutory authority to search a student or their belongings if they have reasonable grounds to suspect possession of a prohibited item outlined in legislation or identified in the school rules as searchable.

 

Adaptations and Reasonable Adjustments

Schools should enforce a ban on mobile phone use during the school day to minimize distraction and disruption, while still fulfilling obligations such as making reasonable adjustments when necessary. In certain exceptional circumstances, schools may need to consider adapting their policy for specific students, this includes students with disabilities and medical needs.

 

The use of Mobile Phones outside the School day

Schools should establish their approach to managing student mobile phone use during residential trips or activities outside regular school hours. They must ensure that the educational experience on these trips remains undisturbed by mobile phone usage and may opt to prohibit or limit their use accordingly. If schools decide to completely ban mobile phones from their premises, they should assess the impact on students' safety during travel to and from school. It's recommended that schools consult with parents to develop such policies, addressing concerns and gaining support for the chosen approach.

 

Finally…

Schools must stay attentive to online safety risks and incorporate online safety considerations into all relevant school policies.

 

Resources:

The full guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools

Creating a mobile free school environment document can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cf5f644239310011b7b917/Creating_a_mobile_phone-free_school_environment.pdf

Mobile phones in schools: toolkit for schools:

This toolkit offers resources and guidance to assist schools in communicating their mobile phone prohibition policy to both parents and students. It should be used in conjunction with the mobile phones in school’s guidance and the behaviour in schools guidance, ensuring consistency with the school's overall behaviour management approach.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cf7761e1bdec001132229d/Mobile_phones_in_schools_-_toolkit_for_schools.pdf

Useful case studies from schools that have prohibited the use of mobile phones in schools can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cf77340f4eb10011a98191/Mobile_phones_in_schools_-_case_studies.pdf)