Mobile phone guidance for Parents

Mobile phone guidance for parents

Students are allowed to bring mobile phones/iPods etc. to school but they must be switched off and out of sight throughout the school day, including detentions. 

There are times when it is urgent that parents and students make contact during school hours and this can always be done through our main school office. Students can avoid any problems by cooperating with our expectations.

The consequence for not doing so is that the phone/iPod is confiscated, labelled and locked away and can only be collected at the end of a 3 night confiscation period. The students can have the phone returned on a Friday afternoon so that they are not without it over a weekend. However, if this means that if the phone has been confiscated for less than 3 nights, the same working phone with SIM card must be returned on the Monday morning to complete the sanction.

This means that the student is without the mobile device from the time it is taken until a 3-night confiscation sanction has happened, including evenings. Parents will be sent a text to advise them that their son/daughter’s phone has been confiscated.

The reasoning for this policy is that we want to ensure that students can learn without being interrupted by the distraction of mobile phones.  We want the teachers at Thamesmead to be able to teach without having to deal with the disruption that phones can cause.  We also want students to feel safe in the school.  By doing our best to prevent mobile phone use in the school day, this provides students with 6 hours a day where they do not have to worry about what might be happening in the virtual world of social media.  One of the challenges of modern childhood is navigating the ever present nature and pressures of social media.  For students to be able to focus fully on their learning it is important that we create a space where those worries can be put aside.

 

The Thamesmead Uniform policy, as published by the school governors, on the policy page of our website states that…

Mobile phones, MP3 players/iPods etc. must be turned off throughout the whole day and kept out of sight at all times. Wearable communication devices/Smart Watches must not be worn.

If a student is found using or wearing any of these items in school they will be confiscated and retained for collection from the main office at the end of the school day on Fridays only.

This agreement between parents/Thamesmead is signed when your child starts school here

At Thamesmead School, we are happy for our students to bring their mobile phone into school provided that it is switched off and kept out of sight between 8:20am and 3.15pm. This rule is in place to ensure that students are kept safe from the negative uses of mobile phones whilst in school and can concentrate on their learning during the school day. If a student fails to follow this rule the following sanctions will apply:

Stage 1 – First offence

The phone will be confiscated for 3 nights and returned to the student.

Stage 2 – Second offence

The phone will be confiscated for 3 nights and will only be returned to a parent.

For stages 1 and 2, if the confiscation period goes over a weekend, the phone will be returned to the student on Friday afternoon. The same phone with the working SIM card must then be handed into the main office on Monday morning so that the confiscation period can be completed.

Stage 3 – Third offence

The phone will be confiscated for 5 nights including the weekend and will only be returned to a parent.

Stage 4 – Fourth offence

The phone will be confiscated for 10 nights which could include 2 weekends and will only be returned to a parent.

Please note that while a student’s phone has been confiscated we will take steps to ensure that they are not at risk. We will also be happy to store a phone during the day if a student struggles with managing their phone use during the school day.

In order to ensure that this policy is administered fairly and consistently, we need the support of parents.

Parental agreement

In signing this document, I confirm that I understand the mobile phone policy as outlined above and I agree to give Thamesmead School my complete support should my child’s mobile phone be confiscated in line with the school’s policy.