Mobile Phone Rules at Chauncy – April 2026

1. Students may bring a mobile phone to school but it must be kept switched off and in their bag at all times, whilst they are on the school site. This extends to tablets, non-school laptops and chromebooks, smartwatches, smart glasses, headphones, earbuds, mp3 players and other smart devices that access mobile technology and the internet.
2. Students must not have phones or devices in trouser pockets, coat pockets or on their person. They must remain in their bag at all times, whilst they are on school premises.
3. Mobile phones or similar devices (including headphones) must not be seen at any time, nor heard at any time.
4. If a student is seen with a mobile phone, or their mobile phone is heard, they will have it confiscated. The mobile phone will be safely stored in a secure location until the end of the day (3.30pm), when the student can collect it. This will be logged as a BehaviourWatch High incident.
5. If a student is seen with their phone, or their mobile phone is heard on a second occasion in the term, the phone will be confiscated for a week (5 school days). The phone will be collected and stored in a secure location until the end of each day (3.30pm) of the five school day period, when the student can collect it. This will be logged as an BehaviourWatch High incident and the student will receive an after school detention 3.30pm – 4.30pm in CR1. Parents will be informed of the confiscation and sanction imposed.
6. If a student is seen with their phone, or their mobile phone is heard on a third occasion in the term, the student will be banned from bringing a mobile phone into school for the rest of the term. The phone will be confiscated and stored in a secure location until the student’s parents can collect it. This will be logged as an BehaviourWatch High incident. The student will receive five after school detentions 3.30pm – 4.30pm in CR1. Parents will be informed of the confiscation and sanction imposed.
7. Students who need to contact their parents may do so via Reception.
8. We will continue to set homework on Edulink, which students can access from home, or by using a computer in school.
9. All students have been given paper timetables. Form tutors will also hold a copy of students’ timetables.
10. The restrictions on mobile phone use extends to other forms of smart technology such as tablets, non-school laptops and chromebooks, smartwatches, smart glasses, headphones, earbuds, mp3 players and other smart devices that access mobile technology and the internet.

There will be exceptions to the policy to cover diagnosed medical needs.
Students who require a mobile device to monitor diabetes for example, will continue to have and use their mobile phones for this purpose only.
All notifications other than the specialist medical app must be turned off.
The student may not use their mobile phone for any other purpose than to access the required medical app.

We will have mobile phone safe zones, where students may be asked to use their mobile phone under direct staff supervision.
This could include occasions where we need a student to check an emergency contact telephone number or confirm an order on WisePay.
Students will be informed of these locations and will include the Pastoral Office, SEND Office, Finance Office, Headteacher’s Office and Reception.

The policy will extend to all students from Year Seven to Year Thirteen.
Sixth Form students in Year Twelve and Thirteen may access their mobile phones in the Sixth Form Centre and Sixth Form Study Room but only if they use our secure student WIFI.
Students in the Sixth form who bring and use their own laptop or device in lessons, may continue to do so, but must use the secure student WIFI.
Our sixth form students have computer access in the Sixth Form Study Room and can loan Sixth Form Chromebooks from Jill Warner.

School trips will have different rules on mobile phone use, determined by the type of school trip and these rules will be shared with students and parents prior to the trip departing.

We will review this policy as we go through the summer term and we will consult with students, parents, staff and governors about further implementation, if required, ahead of the new academic year.

DfE Guidance on mobile phone use can see seen here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools/mobile-phones-in-schools

DfE Guidance on search and confiscation can be seen here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation