Proposal for universal ban on mobile phones in schools welcomed
TWO Dearne head teachers have welcomed a Government announcement that it expects schools to become phone-free zones – months after the rule was introduced at his academy.
The announcement says Ofsted will be given the power to check policies on phone use, with ministers saying they expect schools to become "phone-free by default".
The announcement by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology also proposes a consultation on banning social media for under 16s in the UK, as a part of a series of measures to "protect young people's wellbeing."
Now Andy Downing, the Principal of Astrea Academy Netherwood, and Amir Arezoo, associate principal at Dearne Academy, both part of Astrea Academy Trust, have said the move to make schools phone-free, with clear guidance for leaders of the uses of mobile phones in school is to be welcomed.
Netherwood became a fully phone-free school in September at the start of this academic year, with teachers collecting students’ phones in morning form time and giving them back at the end of the day.
The phones are put in secure mobile lockers and then locked away in a storage room during the school day. Once reunited with their phones in afternoon form time, students are asked to put them in their bags until they have left the premises.
Andy Downing, Principal of Astrea Academy Netherwood, said: “At Netherwood, we have already taken the decision to remove phones at our school because we want to offer a safe haven from the constant pressures of notifications.
“We know that phones can expose youngsters to harmful content and are highly addictive, preventing young people from developing vital social skills. They also reduce attention spans which can hinder their concentration.
“With this ban in place, we are seeing students develop the art and pleasure of communicating face-to-face with their peers, free from the distraction of phones.
“I welcome the news that the government is serious about tackling the concerns schools and families have around mobile phone and social media usage.”
Arrangements at Dearne Academy are different and Mr Arezoo said: “At Dearne, we ask students to put their phones into pouches which means that they do not have the pressure of notifications during the school day.
“Phone pouches support our commitment to learning by keeping lessons free from distraction.”