REVISED MOBILE PHONE POLICY FROM MONDAY 23RD FEBRUARY 2026
Dear Parent \ Carer
In January 2026, the Department of Education wrote to all schools instructing them to implement a mobile phone policy that ‘prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtimes.’
From Monday, 23rd February 2026, we will adopt a ‘Never Seen \ Never Heard’ mobile phone policy. This is a policy that has been successfully adopted by other local secondary schools.
These changes will have an impact on current school systems and practices. We have had to adapt how we plan, run and manage our lessons, set assessment tasks and how we communicate with students. From Monday, 23rd February 2026, we will adopt these simple mobile phone rules:
- 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.
- Students must not have phones in trouser pockets, coat pockets or on their person. It must remain in their bag at all times, whilst they are on school premises.
- Mobile phones must not be seen at any time, nor heard at any time.
- 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, when the student can collect it. This will be logged as a BehaviourWatch High incident.
- If a student is seen with their phone, or their mobile phone is heard on a second occasion, the phone will be confiscated for a week (5 school days) and the student will receive a one-hour after-school detention. The phone will be stored in a secure location until the end of the five school day period, when the student’s parents can collect it. This will be logged as a BehaviourWatch High incident.
- If a student is seen with their phone, or their mobile phone is heard on a third occasion, the student will be banned from bringing a mobile phone into school for the rest of the academic year. The phone will be confiscated and stored in a secure location until the student’s parents can collect it. This will be logged as a BehaviourWatch High incident.
- Students who need to contact their parents may do so via Reception.
- We will continue to set homework on Edulink, which students can access from home, or by using a computer in school.
- Students will be given paper timetables on Monday, 23rd February 2026. Form tutors will also hold a copy of students’ timetables.
- The restrictions on mobile phone use extend to other forms of smart technology such as smart watches, smart glasses, tablets and personal computing devices such as laptops.
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 purpose other than to access the required medical app.
We will have mobile phone safe zones, where students may be asked to use their mobile phones 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, which 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, but only if they use our secure student wifi. They have computer access in the Sixth Form Study Room and can loan Sixth Form Chromebooks from Jill Warner.
We will review this policy as we go through the spring and 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 be 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
Regards,
Steve Walton (Headteacher)