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    Mobile Phone Policy

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    Contents

    1. Introduction and aims
    2. Relevant guidance
    3. Roles and responsibilities
    4. Use of mobile phones by staff
    5. Use of mobile phones by pupils
    6. Use of mobile phones by parents/carers, volunteers and visitors
    7. Loss, theft or damage
    8. Monitoring and review
    9. Appendix 1: [Code of conduct/acceptable use agreement] for pupils allowed to bring their phones to school due to exceptional circumstances
    10. Appendix 3: Template mobile phone information slip for visitors & School Letter

    1. Introduction and aims

    At North Ealing Primary School we recognise that mobile phones and similar devices, including smartwatches, are an important part of everyday life for our pupils, parents/carers and staff, as well as the wider school community.

    Our policy aims to:

    • Promote safe and responsible phone use
    • Set clear guidelines for the use of mobile phones for pupils, staff, parents/carers, visitors and volunteers
    • Support the school’s other policies, especially those related to child protection and behaviour

    This policy also aims to address some of the challenges posed by mobile phones in school, such as:

    • Risks to child protection
    • Data protection issues
    • Potential for lesson disruption
    • Risk of theft, loss, or damage
    • Appropriate use of technology in the classroom

    Note: throughout this policy, ‘mobile phones’ refers to mobile phones and similar devices.

    2. Relevant guidance

    This policy meets the requirements of the Department for Education’s non-statutory mobile phone guidance and behaviour guidance. Further guidance that should be considered alongside this policy is Keeping Children Safe in Education.

    3. Roles and responsibilities

    3.1 Staff
    All staff (including teachers, support staff and supply staff) are responsible for consistently enforcing this policy.

    Volunteers, or anyone else otherwise engaged by the school, must alert a member of staff if they witness, or are aware of, a breach of this policy.

    The Senior Leadership Team is responsible for monitoring the policy every 3 years, reviewing it, and holding staff and pupils accountable for its implementation.

    Staff will address any questions or concerns from parents/carers quickly, and clearly communicate the reasons for prohibiting the use of mobile phones.

    3.2 Governors
    The Governors will be alerted to any changes to the policy as a part of the School Policy Monitoring schedule.

    4. Use of mobile phones by staff

    The DfE’s non-statutory mobile phone guidance says that staff should not use their own mobile phone for personal reasons in front of pupils throughout the school day.

    4.1 Personal mobile phones
    Staff (including volunteers, contractors and anyone else otherwise engaged by the school) are not permitted to use their personal mobile phone, while children are present. Use of personal mobile phones must be restricted to non-contact time, and when pupils are not present.

    There may be circumstances in which it’s appropriate for a member of staff to have use of their phone during contact time for personal reasons. For instance (this list is non-exhaustive):

    • For emergency contact by their child, or their child’s school
    • In the case of acutely ill dependents or family members

    The Headteacher will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to allow for special arrangements.

    If special arrangements are not deemed necessary, school staff can use the school office number 0208 997 2653 as a point of emergency contact.

    4.2 Data protection
    Staff must not use their personal mobile phones to process personal data, or any other confidential school information, including entering such data into generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as chatbots (e.g. ChatGPT and Google Bard).

    (Please see school’s data protection policy and/or ICT acceptable use policy).

    4.3 Safeguarding
    Staff must not give their personal contact details to parents/carers or pupils, including connecting through social media and messaging apps.

    Staff must avoid publicising their contact details on any social media platform or website, to avoid unwanted contact by parents/carers or pupils.

    Staff must not use their personal mobile phones to take photographs or recordings of pupils, their work, or anything else that could identify a pupil. If it’s necessary to take photos or recordings as part of a lesson/school trip/activity, this must be done using school equipment.

    4.4 Using personal mobiles for work purposes
    In some circumstances, it may be appropriate for staff to use personal mobile phones for work. Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to:

    • Issuing homework, rewards or sanctions
    • Use of multi-factor authentication
    • Emergency evacuations
    • Supervising off-site trips
    • Supervising residential visits (a school mobile will be provided and be used in the first instance).

    In these circumstances, staff will:

    • Use their mobile phones in an appropriate and professional manner, in line with our staff code of conduct
    • Not use their phones to take photographs or recordings of pupils, their work, or anything else which could identify a pupil
    • Refrain from using their phones to contact parents/carers. If necessary, contact must be made via the school office/core team.

    4.5 Work phones
    Some members of staff are provided with a mobile phone by the school for work purposes.

    Staff must:

    • Only use phone functions for work purposes, including making/receiving calls, sending/receiving emails or other communications, or using the internet
    • Ensure that communication or conduct linked to the device is appropriate and professional at all times, in line with our staff code of conduct

    4.6 Sanctions
    Staff that fail to adhere to this policy may face disciplinary action. (see staff disciplinary policy)

    5. Use of mobile phones by pupils

    The DfE’s non-statutory mobile phone guidance says that pupils should not use mobile phones throughout the school day.
    Pupils should not use their mobile phones during the school day, including during lessons, in the time between lessons, at breaktimes, at lunchtimes and on the school site before and after school.

    • SMARTphones are banned on school premises altogether
    • Staff collecting non-SMART mobile phones on arrival

    5.1 Use of smartwatches by pupils
    The DfE’s non-statutory mobile phone guidance includes in the term ‘mobile phones’ all devices with communications and smart technology that the school chooses to include in their policy.

    Smartwatches are wristwatches with smart technology in them. They can be used to tell the time, send and receive text and voice messages, make calls and listen to music. Some smart watches have wellness and health-related features.

    • Smartwatches are not permitted in NEPS as they pose a safeguarding risk for pupils.

    5.2 Exceptions for special circumstances
    • Pupils with diabetes who use their phones to monitor their blood sugar are allowed the device in school for this purpose only.

    5.3 Sanctions
    • Mobile phones be confiscated? (Schools are permitted to confiscate phones from pupils under sections 91 and 94 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006)
    • If they are confiscated, a pupil’s parent/carers are permitted to collect the phone
    • Staff have the power to search pupils’ phones in specific circumstances, as set out in the DfE’s guidance on searching, screening and confiscation. The DfE guidance allows you to search a pupil’s phone if there is a good reason to do so .

    In each case, the sanction given must be reasonable and proportionate. The school will also consider whether:

    • There are any relevant special circumstances (for example, age, religious requirements, special educational needs, disability)
    • The pupil’s behaviour may indicate they may be suffering, or at risk of, harm. If this is suspected, staff will follow the appropriate procedure set out in Part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education

    Certain types of conduct, bullying or harassment can be classified as criminal conduct. The school takes such conduct extremely seriously and will involve the police or other agencies as appropriate.

    Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:
    • Sexting (consensual and non-consensual sharing nude or semi-nude images or videos)
    • Upskirting
    • Threats of violence or assault
    • Abusive calls, emails, social media posts or texts directed at someone on the basis of someone’s ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexual orientation

    6. Use of mobile phones by parents/carers, volunteers and visitors

    Parents/carers, visitors and volunteers (including governors and contractors) must adhere to this policy as it relates to staff if they are on the school site during the school day.

    This means:

    • Not taking pictures or recordings of pupils, unless it’s at a public event (such as a school fair), or of their own child
    • Using any photographs or recordings for personal use only, and not posting on social media without consent
    • Not using phones in lessons, or when working with pupils
    • Parents/carers, visitors and volunteers will be informed of the rules for mobile phone use when they sign in at reception contained in the safeguarding leaflet.

    Parents/carers or volunteers supervising school trips or residential visits must not:

    • Use their phone to make contact with other parents/carers
    • Take photos or recordings of pupils, their work, or anything else that could identify a pupil

    Parents/carers or volunteers supervising trips are also responsible for enforcing the school’s policy for pupils using their phones, as set out in section 5 above, but must refer any sanctions to a member of staff, as they do not have the power to search or confiscate devices.

    Parents/carers must use the school office as the first point of contact if they need to get in touch with their child during the school day. They must not try to contact their child on their personal mobile during the school day.

    7. Loss, theft or damage

    Year 5 and 6 Pupils bringing mobile phones to school must ensure that the phones are appropriately labelled and are handed in on arrival to the class teacher.

    Pupils must secure their mobile phones as much as possible, including using passwords or pin codes to protect access to the phone’s functions. Staff must also secure their personal phones, as well as any work phone provided to them. Failure by staff to do so could result in data breaches.

    The school accepts no responsibility for mobile phones that are lost, damaged or stolen on school premises or transport, during school visits or trips, or while pupils are travelling to and from school. (Notice displayed in the school office and Year 5 and 6 classrooms.

    Confiscated phones will be stored in the school office in a locked cabinet.

    Lost phones should be returned to the office. The school will then attempt to contact the owner.

    8. Monitoring and review

    The school is committed to ensuring that this policy has a positive impact on pupils’ education, behaviour and welfare. When reviewing the policy, the school will take into account:

    • Feedback from parents/carers and pupils
    • Feedback from staff
    • Records of behaviour and safeguarding incidents
    • Relevant advice from the Department for Education, the local authority and any other relevant organisations

    9. Appendix 1:

    [Code of conduct/acceptable use agreement] for pupils allowed to bring their phones to school due to exceptional circumstances

    You must obey the following rules if you bring your mobile phone to school:

    From September 2025, should any children in Year 5 or 6 become independent travellers and want to come to school with a phone, we kindly ask that this phone is NOT a smartphone.

    A list of alternative phones to smartphones can be found here and a further article here, “Six of the best ‘dumb phones’ – for children and adults.”

    Article on The Times Website (Subscription required)

    All phones must be handed into the class teacher and then stored in the office and switched off.

    Pupils must comply with a request by a member of staff to switch off, or hand over, a phone. Refusal to comply is a breach of the school’s behaviour policy and will be dealt with accordingly.

    Note: No other children in NEPS should be bringing phones to school.

    10. Appendix 2

    Letter to parents about banning smartphones at NEPS

    16th December 2024

    Dear Parents and Carers,
    Smartphone Free North Ealing

    We are sure that many of you have seen coverage in the press recently about the detrimental effects of smartphones and social media on young people and children, particularly when available to be used both at school and at home.

    Some of these include:

    ● Poor mental health, such as depression and anxiety
    ● Issues with attention and sleep
    ● Risks of cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content like violence or inappropriate material
    ● Use consistent with behavioural addiction
    ● Distraction from learning important life skills

    There is a growing movement amongst parents to support a campaign called “Smartphone-Free Childhood”. You can find out more by clicking this link: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/. Seventy Ealing schools have already gone ‘Smartphone free’.

    We have decided to support this campaign and make North Ealing a smartphone-free school.

    From September 2025, should any children in Year 5 or 6 become independent travellers and want to come to school with a phone, we kindly ask that this phone is NOT a smartphone. A list of alternative phones to smartphones can be found here and a further article here, “Six of the best ‘dumb phones’ – for children and adults.”

    Note: No other children in NEPS should be bringing phones to school.

    Buying a smartphone for your child is of course entirely a parental decision, but we hope that by supporting the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign and banning smartphones in school, it will give you some gravitas in your debate and decision making with your child, should you feel uncomfortable with them having one.

    We hope that you feel that this shift in mobile phone policy for children is a positive one as we try to offer the children the opportunity to live as carefree and screen-free for as long as possible, certainly while at NEPS.

    Updated in handbook
    Spring 2026
    Policy ratified by Headteacher
    Spring 2026
    Policy / Document due for review
    Spring 2029