Sleaford headteacher says school mobile phone bans are already in place

Mobile phone bans and other measures to promote “calm classrooms” will be considered as part of a consultation on behaviour and discipline in schools.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said he wants to make the school day mobile-free, describing the devices as: “not just distracting” but also potentially: “damaging” when misused.

The idea is being considered as part of a six-week consultation, seeking the views of teachers, parents and other staff on how to manage good behaviour.

However, Josephine Smith, Head of Kesteven and Sleaford School, said: “We have a workable and practical mobile phone policy in school which we feel works well for our settings. Y

“You’ll see they are very similar across the Robert Carre Trust if you look at both Carre’s and KSHS websites.”

This was echoed by teaching unions.

The call for evidence comes ahead of planned updates to Government guidance later this year on behaviour, discipline, suspensions and permanent exclusions.

Headteachers and behaviour specialists from 22 “lead schools” and two academy chains with strong reputations for behaviour are mentoring and supporting schools struggling with poor discipline as part of the scheme.

Commenting on the proposals, one Sleaford resident on our Facebook page claimed mobiles are often used as a classroom IT resource.

Other parents agreed there should be a ban: “Generations of kids managed to go school without phones. They are not an important part of education, ban them or install signal blockers in all school buildings.”