Dear Parents/Carers,
As part of our anti-bullying work and following feedback from the whole school surveys we launched a review of our mobile phone use. This started with a consultation of parents and staff on a proposal that pupils should not use mobile phones during the academy day. Below details the feedback we received from parents and our plans for implementing our new St. Michael’s mobile phones policy when we return after the Christmas break in January 2026.
What is the current policy on mobile phone use in St Michael’s?
Pupils can use mobile phones outside of the academy building at break and lunchtime but not in lessons (except with teacher permission).
What is the new proposal?
From January 2026, pupils will no longer be able to use mobile phones during the school day. Pupils will still be able to bring mobile phones to the academy provided they are kept in bags or zipped up in their blazer pocket, on silent or switched off. This rule applies to smartwatches and air pods too and will be in place between 8.40am and 3.25pm.
Where there are exceptional circumstances, we will arrange for access at break or lunchtime in a quiet supervised space by arrangement with a member of staff. Any exceptions to this policy, e.g. trips, will be communicated to parents in advance.
Why are we making this change?
Aside from parental concerns, we feel the increasing time young people spend on mobile phones negatively affects their wellbeing, learning and peer relationships. While many pupils can manage their phone use most of the time, we often see messages sent at break or lunchtime having an impact on the beginnings of lessons. This reduces focus in learning and can lead to pupils wanting to check their phone in class or between lessons.
We are also concerned about the sharing of inappropriate/unkind media in school. While we educate pupils about responsible use and are pleased to note that incidents are rare, when they do occur, they do cause significant upset. By reducing access to phones, we seek to reduce the likelihood of such incidents which will in turn improve the feeling of increased well-being for students within the academy.
What is happening in other schools within our trust?
Having reviewed policies in other schools within our Trust we are confident this change will lead to improvements in behaviour and learning. Colleagues in these schools have reported that these changes have led to improvements in pupil well-being and have reduced disruptions to learning. There have also been many recent calls from agencies voicing concerns about the impact of mobiles on young people and calling for schools to update their policies. For example:
1. UNESCO (BBC summary): UN warns of risk of having smartphones in school - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66312128
2. OECD 2023, summarising the distraction of mobiles in classrooms, PISA 2022 results: the impact of digital distractions on classroom learning (innerdrive.co.uk)
https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/blog/pisa-2022-digital-distractions/
3. UK government’s recommendations to ban mobiles during the school day: Mobile phone use to be banned in schools in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mobile-phone-use-to-be-banned-in-schools-in-england
What does parent feedback tell us about our proposals?
Firstly, we would like to thank all of you that were able to take part in our recent survey, we received 284 responses.
From these responses, 75% of parents supported this change. The main reasons for parents / carers supporting reduced mobile phone use included:
• Pupils spending too much time on mobiles; schools should offer a break from them.
• Mobiles distract from learning; our proposal should improve concentration.
• This should encourage more face-to-face interaction.
• This should help reduce cyber-incidents such as accessing or sharing inappropriate materials or sending unkind messages/videos.
A few parents / carers (13%) disagree with the proposal. The main concerns were:
- Inability to contact parents in emergencies
- Increased anxiety for some students
- Safety during travel to/from school
Addressing concerns:
Parents contacting pupils about changes to after-school commitments
• Pupils can check phone messages at the end of the day (after 3.25pm).
• If urgent, parents can call the school reception so a message can be passed on. Pupils can also report to the school office if they have an urgent need to contact home.
Teaching pupils about the responsible use of phones
Responsible use of social media, mobile phones and e-safety has been taught in Holistic Development (PSHE) lessons for many years and will continue to feature in lessons and assemblies. The lessons are, by the changing nature of technology, updated every year.
Helping pupils who may wish a quiet space at lunchtimes.
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) will be open every lunchtime for pupils seeking a quiet space to read. We are hoping to increase the number of enrichment activities offered to our students.
Using technology to aid learning
We will use Chromebooks instead of mobiles for learning games in lessons.
Introducing this change
Student's will be completing student voice activities in their Computer Science lessons in Years 7-9 and Holistic Development lessons in Y10 and Y11, this week. We will also hold assemblies for all pupils this term and our new rules will apply to all pupils at the start of the new term in January.