Priory Witham Academy Mobile Phone Guidance - Secondary

Expectations

Mobile phones must not be used, seen, or heard during the school day. Mobile phones will be turned off and put away at the school gates and remain off until students leave the school gates at the end of the day. Mobile phone use will only be allowed under the explicit direction of a member of staff.

The academy staff will support all students with the best chance of success by:

• Teaching, practicing and displaying the Mobile Phone Relentless Routine
• Modelling the rules, behaviour and character we want students to develop
• Taking Collective Responsibility for promoting excellent student behaviour
• Understanding our students and their individual needs
• Supporting the role of the Parent/Carer
• Following an education and wellbeing approach
• Maintaining a Calm, Consistent and Reflective Practice in how they manage behaviour around the academy

Relentless Routine:

Routines are part of our behaviour curriculum and are used to teach and reinforce the expected standards of behaviour. Routines are repeatedly rehearsed, displayed and practiced promoting the values of the academy. The Mobile Phone Routine will support the academy in being a mobile phone-free site. Students have been made aware of the expectations around mobile phones and the rationale for these. Building good habits and routines takes time, but maintaining these expectations is critical to success. This has been further supported by communication home.

Modelling Expectations:

A main priority of our behaviour curriculum is for all adults to model expected behaviours in and around the academy site. We are aware staff might need to use their mobile phone to carry out some of their daily duties and responsibilities. However, staff will avoid mobile phone use as much as possible, especially during lessons or whilst on duty. Duty is an important time for staff to model the value of polite, respectful conversations and interactions and use this time to build positive relationships by getting to know pupils. Duty staff will be vigilant and will consistently reinforce the academy’s expectations, which should deter students from attempting to use their mobile phone during the academy day.

Sixth formers are also role models for our younger students. As such, they should not be using their mobile phone outside of the sixth form common room.

Collective Responsibility:

For students to be successful, these boundaries need to be clear and consistently applied across the academy and by every member of staff. Staff should never plan lessons which require the use of a mobile phone. This includes for assessment or research purposes, and also applies to extra-curricular clubs. Staff should consider alternative means such as the use of computers in classrooms or laptops if required. There will be rare occasions where students can use their mobile phone, for example on trips and visits. However, this will be managed carefully by staff who will explicitly direct the use of mobile phones.

Understanding our Students:

Some students may require their phones for medical purposes. Staff will be made aware of these pupils and reasonable adjustments will be implemented to ensure students can be kept safe and well within the academy.

Role of Parents/Carers

Parents are encouraged to:

• Support the school policy
• Monitor and set limits on home phone use
• Promote healthy sleep routines (no phones at night)

Research indicates that overall daily phone use, not just school-time use, has the greatest impact on outcomes.

Consequences:

The vast majority of students will follow expectations regarding mobile phones. There will be a small number, however, who do not and we will need to manage this behaviour. As an academy it is important that consequences are applied:

• Calmly: to avoid confrontation
• Consistently: to ensure fairness
• Proportionately: to avoid layering consequences or over punishment

Mobile phones should be turned off and put away so they are not Used, Seen or Heard. If they are, the following consequences will be applied:

Misuse in lessons or around the academy site during the school day
Misuse	Student hands phone over to staff member Confiscated phone is handed to the students Pastoral Manager or Year Director The student can collect their phone at the end of the day. *The confiscation of the mobile phone is the consequence at this stage
Repeat Misuse	Phone confiscated to the Year Team as per normal Parent/carer informed of the phone confiscation (as early as possible) Parent/carer collect phone or it can be kept to the end of the following day Student can stay at the academy until parent collects if concerned about safety *The confiscation of the mobile phone is the consequence at this stage * 6th Form Students will collect at the end of the day following a conversation with staff
Persistent Misuse	Parental meeting to discuss mobile phone use Agreement made with the Year Director for handing phone in from the start of the day to the end of the day. Time frame to be agreed by the Year Director. *The confiscation of the mobile phone is the consequence at this stage

Refusal to follow the process and system outlined above will result in the academy following their normal behaviour policy. This will be escalated accordingly and may result in students spending time in detention, reflection (being removed from timetable) or, in rare cases, receiving a suspension.

9. Educational and Wellbeing Approach:

In line with research evidence, the school will not rely on restriction alone. We will:

• Teach digital literacy and responsible phone use through PSHE
• Educate students on:
  • sleep and screen time impacts
  • online safety and cyberbullying
• Encourage healthy habits:
  • reduced screen time outside school
  • increased physical activity

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What if my child wants to contact me? If your child has a valid reason to contact you, they can speak with their pastoral team who will be able to support. If they use their mobile phone without permission the academy will implement their behaviour policy as outlined.

2. What if I want to contact my child? If you want to contact your child you can ring the academy who will be able to help with your query. The academy will be as responsive as possible and try our best to respond in a timely manner.

3. What about to and from school? We recognise that parents/carers often want their child to have their mobile phone on the way to school and on the way home for safety reasons. The academy has, therefore, not applied a total ban on phones and will allow students to have phones in their possession as long as they are turned off and not used, seen or heard during the academy day.

4. What if I cannot collect my child’s mobile phone? Parent/carers can collect confiscated phones from Secondary Reception at their earliest convenience and up until 4pm. Any uncollected phones will be returned to the student at the end of the next day.

5. Do schools have the power to confiscate mobile phones? Yes. Schools have the legal power to confiscate and retain mobile phones if they consider it proportionate.  We have clearly outlined what we deem as proportionate in this guidance. Furthermore, the law protects staff from liability to any loss or damage to items they have been confiscated as a sanction, providing they have acted lawfully.