We hope that the following explains clearly why we do what we do and alleviates any questions or concerns that parents/carers may have. 

Firstly, we need to emphasise that students do not need a phone during the school day, and we encourage parents/carers not to buy students in the Lower School a smartphone. If parents would like their daughter to have a phone, we recommend a ‘dumbphone’ is purchased.  From September 2024, any parent/carer of Year 7 wishing their child to bring a smartphone to College is asked to request permission, by completing the form in the link below. In requesting permission, parents/carers are confirming that they have measures in place to ensure all apps are age-appropriate and to prevent/limit access to inappropriate content. 

Click here for link to request permission  

Secondly, phones are not allowed to be out of bags or pockets in lessons or in Form time. If a student wishes to bring a phone to school, their access is restricted to break and lunchtimes only.  Any phone usage must adhere to our Acceptable Use Agreement for Technology, and serious breach of this agreement will result in the phone being confiscated i.e. no access to their phone during the school day.

The rationale behind our approach 

1. We are a place of learning and are proud of our students in how they engage with us in developing healthy habits. 
2. We allow limited access to phones so that students can: 
   1. Learn how to manage their relationship with their smartphone (our role as educators is to help our students lead healthy lives in all its forms). 
   2. Practise responsible phone use in a controlled setting.  
   3. Develop the habits and self-discipline needed beyond the school day and for their future careers, learning how to balance their personal and professional life. 
   4. Feel connected and have opportunity to contact their family during the school day if required, for example, to arrange a different pickup time, or to drop off packed lunch or forgotten equipment needed for the day.  
3. We allow limited access to phones so that students do not: 
   1. Hide away to use their phone which could lead to more covert, less safe behaviour.   
   2. Engage/develop the rebound effect - where restricting access to a desired item, such as a smartphone, leads to increased and intense engagement with the item in the evening once the restriction is lifted (e.g. at the end of the school day)   
4. Through our curriculum including PSHE lessons and the Tutor and Assembly programmes students learn: 
   1. How to be Safe Online 
   2. The algorithms and dangers of social media 
   3. Cyberbullying and what to do 
   4. Digital addiction and its effect on focus and attention 
   5. Techniques to develop healthy habits 

We work in partnership with parents/carers in the event that an inappropriate use of their child’s phone on social media leads to distress and anxiety. Our data shows that such incidents are overwhelmingly more likely to take place outside of school. 

All our strategies and policies are continually reviewed to ensure that they best support the needs of our students. Content relevant to student use of mobile phones can be found in our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy and in our Supporting Student Behaviour policy; both should be read in conjunction with our Wellbeing policy.  

Our approach to mobile phones is under constant review.