Mobile phone ban for secondary school

When they arrive at Aureus School, Didcot, students lock their mobiles in a Yondr Pouch, which means they still have the device in their possession, but the pouch will only unlock when students use special stations installed at the school.

Headteacher Kirsty Rogers has been a leading voice in the Smartphone Free Childhood movement since it started last year. There are now more than 200,000 parents and carers working to change the culture around smartphones and young people.

A special event was held at the school, a member of GLF Schools Multi-Academy Trust, to encourage holding-off giving children a smartphone until they are at least 14-years-old.

Ms Rogers said that while the pouch scheme had been an important step forward, it wasn’t necessarily enough.

“Children are having unrestricted access to the internet, and we sometimes forget this is a two-way thing. You might feel your child is ready for the internet - but are you ready for the internet to have access to them?” she said.

Will Orr-Ewing, from Smartphone Free Childhood, presented statistics underlining the mental health risks, privacy concerns and developmental challenges which stem from early use of mobile phones.

The organisation says research into the impact of early use of a smartphone is showing children are being exposed to things they are not developed enough to deal with. From cyberbullying to triggering anxiety, a range of issues has become apparent. And there is always the risk of sexual exploitation of young people.

“The average teen receives 237 smartphone notifications a day, one every few minutes, making focusing on schoolwork hard,” it says.

Children aged between 12 and 15 spend an average of 35 hours a week, equivalent to a full-time job, on their smartphone.

The use of Yondr Pouches has been widely accepted by students, and they are enjoying the impact the initiative has had.

“We think that they are quite good because before we had them there was a lot of distraction in class. Even if students weren’t on their phones, if they went off it would draw people’s attention away from their learning,” said Kidest, a Year 10 pupil.

“People are going on less about their phones and at break it’s fun to talk to friends. It’s not at the top of their mind,” said Vanessa, also in Year 10.

Both pupils said the move had also meant they thought more about their phone usage when they were not at school and were mindful of how much time they spent on the devices.