New phone ban school is ‘heavy

Pupils will have their mobile phones confiscated for a week if they are caught using them repeatedly during school time.

Teachers at the Towers School in Kennington say they will supply a “very basic” replacement mobile as part of the tough new crackdown.

Head teacher Richard Billings says the punishment only applies to repeat offenders and those who have not broken the rules before will have their phone handed back on the same day – providing a responsible adult collects it from staff.

But the policy, which bans the use of mobiles between 8.40am and 3pm, has been criticised by one parent who says the punishment is “heavy-handed”.

Hothfield parish councillor Paul Fothergill, 35, whose two daughters attend the school, said: “I understand why they can’t use their phones during school time, but I think taking it away for seven days is heavy handed.

“I have refused to give Mr Billings permission to withhold my children’s phones and said I would be taking legal recourse if he did so.

“Taking it until the end of the day is acceptable, but a week isn’t.”

Mr Billings – who introduced the policy at the start of January – says 99% of parents have welcomed the new crackdown.

Since January 2017, mobiles have been banned during school hours, but Mr Billings says extending the punishment to a whole week will put pupils off using them.

“It is a deterrent so people do not use mobiles to disturb lessons,” he said.

“The offenders represent a tiny minority and the students like the fact they do not have to check their mobile phone every five minutes.

“In France, every school bans them. All sensible head teachers would ban mobile phones.”

Mr Billings detailed his new

Taking it until the end of the day is acceptable, but a week isn’t

policy in a newsletter sent to parents.

He wrote: “We know that students live in a world which is constantly switched on.

“At Towers, we offer relief from this.

“We also know that, even having a phone available, even if you are not looking at it, can split your attention and reduce your cognitive function.

“If, for example, a phoned is removed on a Tuesday, it will not be returned until the following Tuesday.”

Mr Billings says the “very basic school mobile phone” will allow pupils to stay in contact with parents if theirs is confiscated.