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Phone-free policy has had positive impact at school

Kelly Withers & Rhiannon Yhnell
BBC News, Somerset
BBC The picture shows Sarah Herlinger smiling at the camera. She is standing in the school's libraryBBC
Teacher Sarah Herlinger said the move had allowed pupils to focus on their lessons

A school has said that locking away pupils' mobile phones in a special pouch during the day has had a positive impact.

Kingswood School in Bath said its phone-free policy had helped children to focus on their lessons and encouraged social interaction.

Mobiles are placed in a pouch with a magnetic locking device that makes the phone inaccessible until it is released, so that pupils are not tempted to use their phone.

Head of middle school at Kingswood, Sarah Herlinger, said: "We've seen pupils interacting, spending time on their homework. It's just creating a really lovely buzz around school."

George and Emmy are sitting together. They're wearing the school uniform which is a black blazer and black jumper. They are sitting in a library and there are shelves with books in the background
Pupils George and Emmy said the change had made people more sociable

Kingswood, an independent school, introduced the pouches in September after carrying out a survey of pupils, parents and teachers.

To access the magnetic pouches, students must ask a teacher for permission, or use an unlocking pad placed at entry points to the school to release their phone when they leave at the end of the day.

The school said government guidance issued in February 2024 instructing all schools to adopt a phone-free policy had prompted the change.

The pouches costs £30, but Mrs Herlinger said some pupils had decided not to use them.

"There is a significant number of children from year seven to year eleven who have said 'I'm never going to have my phone in school' so they're obviously not needing to pay for it."

The picture shows the magnetic pouch on a table. The pouch is grey in colour with YONDR written in green.
Students must ask a teacher or use an unlocking pad to access their phone

Pupils Emmy and George think the change has been positive.

"I think everyone was quite surprised when it came in, but it's made everyone more sociable," said George.

Emmy added: "It's quite good because people talk more, you kind of get to know people better instead of having your phone out."

Mrs Herlinger said: "When we have those conversations about phone use and regulating phone use we know that's a really unfair expectation on a child.

"I think we're doing right by them by creating a culture where it's okay not to be on your phone, it's okay to have a break from that."

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