Mobile Phones in school

This guide explains our mobile phone policy for all students at The Bulmershe School. Our rules fully align with the Department for Education guidance on mobile phones in schools, creating a safe, calm and distraction-free environment for learning.

Our mobile phone expectations

We operate a complete mobile-phone-free environment throughout the school day. This rule applies from 8.00am until students leave the school site at the end of the day.

Students may bring a mobile phone to school for their journey to and from campus, but it must remain switched off and stored out of sight in their school bag at all times.

Our rule is simple: See it, hear it, lose it.

Phones, earphones and smartwatches must not be seen, used or heard at any point during the school day, including:

• During morning registration and tutor time
• During all lessons and transitions between classrooms
• At breaktimes and lunchtimes
• During after-school clubs, revision sessions and sports fixtures

Smartwatches may be worn to tell the time only. If a smartwatch is used to send messages, make calls or access the internet, it will be treated as a mobile phone and confiscated. Smart glasses, such as Meta glasses, are strictly forbidden on the school site at any time. These devices contain built-in cameras capable of recording video and photos without clear visual cues, presenting obvious privacy and safeguarding concerns within a school environment.

Why we have a phone-free school day

Research and government guidance show that mobile phones disrupt learning and increase the risk of online harm. Keeping our school phone-free helps students:

• Focus on their lessons without digital distractions
• Build real, face-to-face friendships during breaktimes
• Protect their mental health and wellbeing
• Stay safe from online bullying during school hours

We teach digital literacy, personal safety and online wellbeing across all year groups in our tutor time and personal development curriculum.

What happens if a phone is seen or heard

If a student's phone, ear pods or electronic device is seen or heard during the school day, staff will confiscate it immediately.

Here is our confiscation process:

• The device is taken to Student Reception and stored safely.
• The incident is recorded on ClassCharts, which sends an automatic notification to parents.
• On the first occasion, the student can collect their phone from Student Reception at the end of the school day.
• If a phone is confiscated twice in the same week, it will be kept until the end of the week.
• If a phone is confiscated four times in one half term, the Head of Year will contact parents to set up a formal behaviour plan.

Refusal to hand over a phone to a member of staff is a serious breach of our school behaviour policy and will lead to further consequences, including potential suspension.

How parents can contact students during the school day

Parents must not attempt to call or text their child on their mobile phone during the school day. Students are not allowed to check their devices and will have them confiscated if they do.

If you need to get an urgent message to your child:

• Phone our main school reception on 0118 935 3353 and our staff will pass the message directly to your child.

If your child needs to contact you urgently during the school day:

• They must go to Student Reception, where a member of staff will assist them in making a call home.

Exceptions to the policy

Exceptions are only allowed in rare circumstances, such as specific medical needs or agreed special educational needs support. All medical exceptions must be approved in advance by the Senior Leadership Team.

Specific, supervised exceptions apply to Sixth Form students in designated Sixth Form areas, as well as students taking part in pre-approved creative coursework or school trips.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding with this matter, it is hugely important that we work together to ensure your child gets time away from their mobile phone in order to develop the resilience necessary in the ever-changing world that we live in.

You can view The Bulmershe School's Mobile Phone Policy in our Policy Portal