Stopping phone usage in schools: It's a restatement of what schools can do about mobile phones, we await what the government are prepared to do about social media

Education Secretary and Chichester MP Gillian Keegan has said mobile phones ‘have no place in our classrooms’ after the government launched a crackdown.

The Government’s plan to minimise disruption and improve behaviour in classrooms. New guidance issued today (Monday, February 19) backs head teachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including at break times.

Rob Corbett started as headteacher at Ifield Community College in September 2014 and one of his first decisions was to ban mobile phones. Here, writing for Sussex World, he talks about the effect it has had but also what the government should be focussing on.

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"On my first day as Headteacher at ICC, I asked the staff what improvements could be made. Issues with mobile phones was the seen by a vast majority as a hindrance to their work. The following day our ban started. Students can have their phones in school but the cannot be seen or used between the start and end of the day.

“The huge issues of social media posts and students photographing or filming each other ended. The student who contacted home to give a very one-sided version of an event, causing the parents significant distress, was no more. We were able to have social times where students could chat, play sport and be teenagers, comfortably, as they should.

“Of course, at times, some students did not follow the rule. We applied the process of explanation – why the rule was important. We have not needed to routinely confiscate phones or implement bag searches for them. We ask our students to be respectful and, like the vast majority of young people I have worked with, are.

“The utility of phones has, of course, increased and they have timetable and emails and we understand that, at times, students will ask to look at phones for information during the day. Some teachers will use them as tools for learning.

“The real issue facing schools and young people is the unmonitored space created by social media posts. The harassment that takes place can be awful.

“We had, today, a restatement of what schools can do about mobile phones, we await what the government are prepared to do about social media.”