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All Schools In Our Trust Are Now Phone Free

Over the past year, we have carefully considered the role of mobile phones across all of our schools. With research showing that young people face an average of 237 daily notifications and up to 75% secretly use phones in class, we knew it was time to make a positive change. Our schools are now proudly phone-free environments during the working day.

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How The New System Will Work

1

Morning Hand-In At Registration

Students switch off their phones and hand them in at the beginning of morning registration. Each student has an allocated, numbered slot within a secure phone box. For exceptions and queries read our policy FAQs.

Late Arrivals: Students who arrive late and miss morning registration must hand their phones in at the main reception immediately upon entering the building. These will be logged and stored securely.
2

Secure Storage During the School Day

Once registration concludes, the Senior Leadership Team and Heads of Year collect and lock all tutor phone boxes.

  • Boxes are never left unattended in classrooms.
  • They are moved to a dedicated, locked storage room monitored continuously by CCTV.
  • Your child is the only person who physically handles their phone during the hand-in and collection process.
Early Collections: If you need to collect your child early for a pre-booked appointment, please notify reception that morning. We will arrange for your child to be collected from class, retrieve their phone from secure storage, and meet you at reception. If a child falls ill, staff will arrange for their phone to be retrieved before they are collected.
3

Afternoon Return

During afternoon registration, the locked boxes are returned to the classrooms by senior staff, and students collect their phones from their designated slots.

⚠
Confiscation (Strictly Enforced): Keeping a phone on their person or attempting to bypass the system is a direct breach of the school behaviour policy.
  • If a phone is discovered during the day, it will be confiscated and moved to central security.
  • The phone will not be returned to the student. A parent or carer must collect from the school reception.
  • If a student is in detention at the end of the day, their phone will be held securely until the detention is served.

Why Have We Made This Change?

We have made this change because we believe it will have a profoundly positive impact on your child’s education and wellbeing. Removing mobile phones helps us protect valuable learning time, strengthen social relationships, and support children to be fully present. Our aim is simple: to reduce distractions and anxiety, allowing us to maintain a calm, safe environment where excellent teaching thrives and students can focus on a successful future.

Leading from our Own Experience | Marches Academy Trust

FAQs

Why has the Marches Academy Trust introduced a phone free policy?

We have two main objectives:

  • A) To improve the mental health of our young people
  • B) To ensure a calm and orderly, disruption-free environment is maintained.

There is a significant amount of national and international research that suggests there is a clear link between mental health and the use of mobile phones. Our students’ mental health is really important to us, and we are passionate about doing what we can to support this.

There is also a range of research in place that suggests that learning and attention in the classroom is disrupted by the distraction of mobile phones, with up to 75% of students secretly using phone in lessons. By removing this distraction, we believe that our students will benefit greatly, both inside and outside the classroom.

Why do we need to make this change when phones should be off already?

Young people do not always follow the rules. Correcting this through the day can lead to conflict. National surveys have told us up to 75% of students still look at phone in lessons without teachers knowing, and students feel pressure to respond to messages they get quickly. With on average 237 notifications a day, the temptation is always there. Evidence shows that moving beyond “never seen” to phone free, consistently creates calmer classrooms, safer corridors, less distraction, and fewer safeguarding incidents. These approaches don’t just reduce risk, they give teachers the headspace to teach, and students the best chance to focus and thrive.

During what parts of the school day will the new policy apply?

We will be phone-free throughout the entire school day, from the moment students arrive at morning registration, until they leave the academy building at the end of the day, at 3.15pm once they have left the building/ grounds and including lunchtime.

Can my child bring a mobile phone to school at all?

Yes, students can bring their phones for safety and travel reasons. However, they will be securely stored during the school day as part of the mobile phone-free policy.

How will the school manage students' mobile phones?

In morning registration, each student will place their phone into their personal numbered slot in a locked box. The box will be securely stored during the day away from the classroom. Students will collect their phones from the same box during registration at the end of the day.

Afternoon registration has been mentioned, how will this work?

We have made slight changes to the internal structure of the day to create an end of the afternoon registration which allows students to collect their phone before they leave school for the day.

What happens if a student is caught using their phone during school hours?

If a student is using their phone during the school day, it will be confiscated, and parents/carers will need to come to the school reception to collect the mobile phone. It will not be returned to the student. If a child fails to hand their phone to a member of staff, this will be dealt with in line with the behaviour policy.

How will I contact my child in case of an emergency?

As is the case now, you can contact the school reception, and they will ensure the message is passed to your child promptly. The school will also contact you if there is an urgent need, through the staff team in line with the robust safeguarding and safety processes we already have in place

What if my child needs to contact me during the school day?

If a student needs to contact you, they can do so via the school reception or a member of staff. We already do this on a daily basis when a student informs us that they need to contact home.

Are there exceptions for special events or school activities?

Exceptions may be made for field trips or other school activities where phones are necessary for safeguarding reasons. In such cases, the school will inform students and parents in advance. This is an area that will be carefully considered before each event.

How will the school ensure that the policy is enforced?

Staff members will monitor student behaviour throughout the day, ensuring that phones are collected and securely stored. Regular reminders will be provided during registration sessions and assemblies. Staff will also receive training before the policy is implemented on how to support and monitor students effectively.

How can I support the school in implementing this policy?

You can support the policy by encouraging your child to follow the rules, discussing the importance of the policy with them, and only contacting them through the school reception in the case of emergency. If your son/daughter is caught with their phone in school, it will be confiscated, and you will need to come to the school to collect it. It will not be returned to the student; we will need your support with this.

Will my child’s mobile phone be safe in school?

Phones will be stored in a purpose-built secure phone box, which will be locked and stored in a secure room. Only key staff will have access to this room throughout the day. Students will not have access to this room. Your child will be the only person who will physically touch the phone when they put it in and collect it from their phone box.

What if my child’s phone is damaged?

There is no cover for students’ mobile phones under the property section of the school’s insurance policy as the mobile phones do not belong to the school. All phones will be securely stored but in the unlikely event anything were to happen whilst being stored, the phone’s owner would have to make a Public Liability claim against the school through an insurance claims handler and we would work closely with all parties to rectify this.

What is the school’s policy on smart watches?

In the initial phase, we are going to ask for phones to be turned off so smart watches cannot connect to their phone; however, smart watches may still be worn. If any student is seen using their smart watch inappropriately, it will be confiscated. We will review this after the first half term and update our policy if we feel it is needed.

My child is in the Sixth Form; how does this change affect them?

Sixth Form students phone privilege will not change. As now, phones should not be seen in the general school, but they can be used in the Sixth Form learning spaces and common areas.

What happens if I need to collect my child during the school day, will they be able to get access to their mobile phone?

Yes, a member of staff will take them to retrieve their phone before collection. In order to ensure that this happens, all collections must be pre-arranged with the school. If your child is unwell during the school day, a member of staff must give them permission to go home, and that member of staff will make arrangements for their phone to be collected. If your child has a pre-booked appointment, reception should be informed on the morning of the appointment so that arrangements can be made for your child to be collected from lesson, retrieve their phone, and wait in reception.

Will staff be able to use their mobile phones?

Staff will use their mobile phones for emails, to take the registers or for internal communication within the school. Staff are clear on the expectations of the school and are fully aware of the importance of their role in the process.

Will the behaviour policy change?

Yes – we will update our behaviour policy to ensure the mobile phone system is carefully built into it. We will share an updated version of the policy on our website shortly.

Will my child be able to use their phone in session 6 – after school clubs etc?

Will my child be able to use their phone during after school clubs etc?

These events happen after the school day and so the phone will be with the student, and should not be a distraction to any learning, students should follow staff instructions when phones are not to be seen.

What is in place if my child is anxious or has Diabetes and believes they need their phone in the day?

Please share this with us now so we can work with you and your child to find a solution that fits the rules. In schools we visited, positive solutions meant that only children with continuous glucose monitoring apps such as Dexcom CGM for diabetes needed to keep their phone.

What if the phone isn’t handed in?

If devices are retained outside of the phone free system or permitted devices are used incorrectly, including smart watches, students will be challenged; devices will be confiscated, switched off by the student, and retained centrally. Parents/carers will be asked to collect the device directly.

What if I have a medical condition where I need my phone?

If a staff member or CYP has a known medical condition which is supported through mobile applications or systems such as diabetes or epilepsy management, they will be permitted to retain their phone as part of their Individual Health and Care Plan (IHCP).

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