Mobile phone policies: What schools need to know

The guidance clarifies that schools should be environments which are ‘free of mobile phones’ and a mobile phone policy should be set out, either separately or within the school’s behaviour policy, prohibiting the use of mobile phones and other similar smart technology throughout the school day.

How can a mobile phone ban be implemented at school?

Whilst the guidance states that schools should be free of mobile phone use, there is no clarification as to how schools should implement this. A blanket ban on bringing mobile phones onto the school premises will not be feasible for a number of reasons, including for pupil safety when travelling to and from school. Schools will therefore need to consider what will work for their school community.

Some schools, for example, are using lockers in which mobile phones are stored during the school day. Other schools have chosen to require pupils to hand their phones in to a designated member of staff at the start of the school day.

Case studies also show some schools requiring pupils to place their mobile phone into a lockable pouch, which stays with the pupil and can only be accessed at the end of the school day. Whilst this negates the need for the school to securely store mobile phones, it does mean that there is a cost burden of providing each pupil with a pouch which some schools have sought to pass on to parents.

With the stark increase in parental complaints that schools across the sector are currently seeing, implementing mobile phone bans which require parent expenditure may risk further parent complaints.

The school’s policy

Whatever method a school uses to ensure that it remains mobile-phone fee, it is key that the policy is clearly communicated to the school community.

Staff, pupils and parents should be familiar not only with the school’s expectations in respect of mobile-phones, but importantly staff should understand how the policy should be implemented and the sanctions for breaching the policy. Sanctions for breaching the mobile phone policy might be, for example, confiscation of the mobile phone.

However, staff should ensure to keep in mind any circumstances which lead to the beach by a pupil, such as where a pupil has medical needs which required them to contact home.

Staff should also be aware that use of their own mobile phones in front of pupils during the school day risks undermining the school’s policy.  Of course, it may be necessary for a teacher to use a mobile phone or similar device for multi-factor authentication. However, the expectations placed on staff should be made clear.

What might the exceptions be?

Whilst the Department has made clear that school environments should be mobile-phone free, there will be circumstances which form an exception to this rule.

Boarding school policies will need to be slightly different as no doubt pupils will need to use mobile phone outside of the teaching day. In these cases, policies should prohibit use of mobile phones during the teaching day but also make clear the school’s expectations in respect of the use of mobile phones outside of teaching time.

In addition, students in sixth forms may be allowed some flexibility in the use of their mobile phones. There should, however, be mindfulness in respect of not compromising the school’s policy on the use of mobile phones for other pupils.

Schools should also keep in mind the need to balance creating a mobile phone-free environment with their duties to provide reasonable adjustments. Allowing a disabled pupil access to their mobile phone during the school day, where it is necessary due to the nature of their disability, may be considered a reasonable adjustment.

Allowing pupils access to a mobile phone during the teaching day may also be reasonable to support a pupil with a medical condition. For example, a pupil with diabetes may use their phone to monitor their glucose levels. Alternatively, a pupil who is a young carer may require access to their mobile phone.

The school’s policy and procedures should be alert to these considerations, whilst avoiding making some pupils wholly exempt from the school’s policy.

Practical steps

When implementing any school policy, it is key to consider what the aim of the policy is, and whether the policy achieves that aim in an appropriate manner.

As well as having a policy, it is equally important to ensure that the school community is aware of and understands the policy, and the potential consequences of a policy breach. For staff, this will include training them in the implementation of the policy, including ensuring that they are aware of wider considerations such as the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010.

If you require support with preparing or review your school’s policies, or implementing staff training, please do not hesitate to get in touch.