Dear Parents/Carers and Students,

Mobile Phone Policy

Proposals to ban mobile phones in schools have been well documented in the media recently and has sparked a lively debate. As a school, we have been considering our policy on mobile phones for some time pre-pandemic and again more recently. We have carefully evaluated the impact of such technology on our students' ability to focus on learning without distraction and the impact on safeguarding against cyber-bullying incidents which occur over social media platforms. Cyber-bullying has increased since the first lockdown; this is a national picture not just a local issue.

As we come out of the pandemic, there is an urgent need to focus on recovering lost learning time and help our students rekindle important face to face friendships. We must also encourage students to re-establish an active healthy lifestyle. Therefore, we have decided that from September 2021, students will no longer be allowed to use their mobile phones on site at any time, including break and lunch.  

We understand the need for students to carry a mobile phone with them to and from school to ensure their safety; however, they should be switched off and kept out of sight until the end of the day. Mobile phones will be confiscated and signed into reception if they are seen in school. Students can collect them at the end of the day. Students who have had three confiscations will be issued a C5 after school detention which takes place on a Friday and a parent/carer will be required to collect the device from reception.  

I would like to enlist your support in explaining to your child(ren)/ward(s) that mobile phones have become a major distraction in our school and we now need to focus all our attention on learning.

Yours sincerely,

A Keegan
Assistant Headteacher