Mobile Phone Use Policy

Dear Parents / Carers, 

I am writing to you regarding our policy on mobile phone use in the Academy. I am sure many of you will have seen that this has been in the news recently, as the Department for Education released guidance for all schools on becoming ‘phone free.’ We welcome this as Hanham Woods Academy is already a phone free school. The Department for Education guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cf5f2a4239310011b7b916/Mobile_phones_in_schools_guidance.pdf  

This is an opportune moment to remind the entire community of our mobile phone policy. We believe that, in general, young people use their mobile phones too much. We believe that in order for students to learn in a safe, secure, disruption free environment our Academy must be phone free. 

The volume of safeguarding incidents, cyber bullying and general unkindness reported to us that involve the use of mobile phones gives us real concern, and we want to limit the opportunities for this. If students use their phone inappropriately at school, they may not be allowed to bring their phone to school at all. This is in line with the new guidance.  

Mobile phones are to be kept turned off and remain in students’ bags throughout the day, until students leave the Academy at the end of the day. If mobile phones are seen, they will be confiscated, students will receive a 30 minute after academy detention, and they can retrieve their phone from Reception at 15:30. Please do not contact your child via their mobile during the day. If they are messaging or calling you, you need to ask them to speak to an adult but also please do have a follow up conversation about how to deal with the scenario differently-there is always another way. If you need to contact your child during the academy day, please do so via main reception, who will arrange for a Pastoral Leader to support your child. 

This policy is in place to improve student wellbeing and promote better social interactions between peers within the Academy. 

Dream BIG // Work Hard // Be Kind 

Mr O’Callaghan 

Principal