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Headline results from our recent mobile phone survey

Following one of our most discussed articles, the results of our mobile phones in schools survey have revealed that 67% of respondents believed that phones should be banned and that currently 80% of school have implemented a ban.

As identified from the early results, there was a significant difference between the opinions of SLTs and teaching staff. The final results suggest that while 78% of SLT support a ban, only 64% of teaching staff agree.

Below are the thoughts and comments from our survey respondents:

There is a difference between banning phones in school and banning their use at certain time, such as during lessons. It's not the existence of phones in schools that should be questioned, it more about having a robust and clear acceptable use policy - pupils breaking this policy could be sanctioned by being forbidden for bringing their phones.

We have recently clamped down on mobile phone usage.

We have found this to be very successful, we have never allowed phones in school and although we are aware some have them if we see them out they are confiscated and the students know that, so we hardly ever have to use that sanction. It also gives our students some hours within the day where they can walk away from electronic devices, they don't have to pander to the constant need to check social media and hopefully this is a little contribution to their mental health and well-being.

Mobile phones are a massive safeguarding issue and a massive distraction to learning. Additionally I know I have been video recorded and photographed by students without my consent which is an invasion of my privacy.

It is difficult as Years 10 to 13 use their phones at school to revise topics.

We have noticed an amazing positive difference in student - student interactions

It's tough at the start but gets easier with great results quickly. Parents can be the worst obstacles!

Parents are banned from using phones inside the building as well as staff. Teachers use in a designated area.

Phones and other devices will be bigger and more prevalent than we can possibly imagine in young people's adult lives, so it's vital we teach responsible use rather than hiding the sweetie jar then wondering why they get sick when they sneak into it!

Although there is a pressure on schools to provide suitable equipment for students to use in schools, this immediately puts pressure on students to have the latest smart phone. Is it necessary for these children to have phones at all?

Causes bullying, students end up obsessing over social media.

The advent of Chromebooks and other multi use devices really means that talking about mobile phones is also becoming somewhat obsolete. We have managed phones well and tried various systems and ended up with year 10 and above keeping theirs but sanctions for misuse.

Phones are used where IT rooms are scarce.

I don’t think a full ban is appropriate in terms of having them in site, but during school hours I think phones should be banned from use.

Responsible use of the phone is the best way forward.

Technology is the future. The new GCSE specifications are already going backwards. Let's utilise phones as they are not going to go away.

Unfortunately they are the way of society now and as such we need to move with the times and technology

I think one of the biggest problems with an outright ban is that, overwhelmingly, parents want their children to have phones with them. I sometimes read comments saying 'why can't schools collect phones in' - that might work in a very small school but it would be impossible in most secondary schools and would cause a lot more problems than it could ever hope to try and solve. I think a consistently applied policy of no phones out anywhere around school (save perhaps allowing teachers to invite students to take a photo of the board showing their homework tasks) is a good compromise that works well - but like all of these things it needs to be consistently applied.

If our aim is to teach young people to self regulate then our approach needs to be tiered. In my school we ban them from the young pupils and slowly deregulate as we move to Sixth Form.

Yr 8, 9, 10 students are tending not to surrender their phones, and 3/4G capacity means a trip to the toilet is an opportunity to go online with no possible supervision. We are contemplating a register of devices with a call home if we don't have that student's device in the lockbox by end of registration.

There is constant debate around this issue among teachers. Some teachers rely on student's phones to integrate IT into lessons due to lack of pc room availability. Students are supposed to have phones off in class unless the teacher allows. Most students have phones on though and can be distracted by notifications etc. Recently teachers have been photographed in class and they were posted on social media. It is very hard to get the balance right.

We only expect pupils to hand them in up until then end of year 10. Year 11 and Sixth Form are encouraged to use them responsibly and only in designated areas. Our reasoning is to give pupils screen free time during the day and allow them to spend more time in real time and space communication with each other.

Being a K-12 school, older students in Grades 11 & 12 could be allowed phones as an additional privilege provided they don't use them in lectures. As they are being prepared for life in universities where there is no such regulation, developing some self-regulation may be beneficial to them.

Banning phones in school is so important. It is the one point of the day where children are not tied to social media feeds, which all current research suggests is damaging to young people's mental health. Our 6th Form are allowed their phones in school, but only in designated areas and are not allowed them on/in use during lesson time without the express permission of their teacher. This also teaches students when it is appropriate to check phones (not during a meeting or presentation for example). I take a lot of trips to other schools and I notice the difference in lunch and breaktimes particularly: our students are less inclined to reach for their phones immediately and will sit and chat with each other while others will be disengaged from conversation and plug straight in.

Although reading the comment made in the article highlights a compelling argument that fact still remains that mobile phones distract learning. All learners should be educated, regardless, and encouraged to use all electronic devices with clear information on how it impacts on their life both socially and educationally. Yes the next generation will have far more access to computers etc but that shouldn't mean it takes over. Discipline in schools, college and home is essential and without it all rules, policies, laws and procedures won't be worth the paper they are written on and our 'next generation' will become feral.

There's no real need for students to have access to phones during school hours - they absolutely need them when travelling to and from school and so I believe in simply having them checked-in and locked away from AM registration till the end of the day. This doesn't preclude phones being used in lessons if required though - they're useful devices!

I've worked in school that did allow phones and it was forever a monitoring exercise to stop students checking their messages and chatting with each other (or cheating by looking up answers or using the calculator app in a mental maths session). Once I was even sneakily snapchatted by a student to all his friends without permission - pretty unacceptable. Only found out when I started at a different school nearby the next year and some of the students there recognised me.

I teach Computing/Computer Science and see the value of technology in the classroom, but I also know the temptation - even for adults - to constantly want to check their phones for whatever updates they might have. For teenagers especially it's a huge temptation and distraction in lessons that could have far-reaching impacts on their education.

We have added that except in certain subjects, use of headphones for study in lessons is not permitted.

It is important that we have places where students can learn to communicate with out mobile phones.

If you would like to add your thoughts or experiences, please use the comments section below

Almost half of young people experiencing mental health concerns turn to their teachers for support

In November, NHS released the findings of the “first national survey of children’s mental health to take place since 2004”.

The aim of the survey was “to find out about the mental health, development and wellbeing of children and young people aged between 2 and 19 years old in England”.

Key findings from the survey reported that:

One in eight 5 to 19 year olds had at least one mental disorder

Emotional disorders* were the most prevalent type experienced by 5 to 19 years olds

Mental disorders increased with age, reaching 16.9% of 17 to 19 year olds

When it came to education, the report found that on average 8.5% of children experiencing a mental health disorder were more likely to have played truant (compared to 0.8% without a disorder). This figure increased to 11.2% amongst those with a behavioural disorder*.

In further striking findings, young people with mental disorders were twice as likely to have experienced cyber bullying in the last year. The report also found that young people with a disorder were more likely to have:

spent longer (four hours or more) on social media

compared themselves to others when online

felt that the number of ‘likes’ they got affected their mood

The survey identified that two-thirds of young people experiencing problems did have contact with a professional service and that teachers were the most commonly cited source of support. Reassuringly, only 10% of these young people felt that this particular support was unhelpful.

With such a large proportion of young people turning to their teachers for support, it is concerning that a recent survey by Mental Health Foundation Scotland, most teachers felt they lacked the training to help pupils with mental health issues. The survey also identified that around half of the staff questioned felt that the pressures of the job had contributed to mental health issues amongst the teachers themselves.

The report found that 85% of those surveyed felt that more training in this area could help them take better care of their own emotional condition.

Have your say

Do you feel that there is sufficient support for teaching staff around mental health issues? Do you think there is too much pressure on schools to deal with these areas? Have you or your school been particularly successful in handling the matter? Let us know your thoughts and suggestions using the comments section below.

*Mental disorders were grouped into four main types: emotional, behavioural, hyperactivity and other

Highlights from the 2017/18 report relating to Safeguarding

On Tuesday (4th December), Amanda Spielman, Ofsted's Chief Inspector, launched their annual report.

Some of the headline findings highlighted by Ms Spielman included:

95% of early years providers are at least good

as are 86% of schools

and 76% of general FE colleges

and 82% of children’s homes

and, the number of local authorities judged good or outstanding for children’s social care continues to rise

While the report praises the progress that has been made, it also acknowledges that there is still much work to do, and four key themes were identified:

the first is the crucial importance of getting the basics of education and care right

the second is our concerns about the impact of lack of capacity in certain areas and its effect on standards and rates of improvement

the third is the danger of expecting schools to become a panacea for all of society’s ills

and the last is the importance of focusing on the substance of education and care

Of course, all areas of education were discussed in the report, however, we will today pinpoint just a couple of the areas specifically relating to safeguarding.

Knife Crime and Gangs
Two of the more worrying areas of safeguarding now dominating concerns (and indeed the media), are knife crime and the criminal exploitation of children.

The report identifies that both these areas are on the rise, but that schools are teaching children how to stay safe. It recognises that these issues cannot be tackled by schools alone and must be supported by external agencies such as the police, health services and LAs etc.

Schools at risk of poor quality safeguarding
The report identified a number of settings where safeguarding arrangements were potentially at risk. These included unregistered schools as they "can evade scrutiny of safeguarding practices". Where unregistered schools had been inspected, 35% were identified as having safeguarding or health and safety issues.

Other groups of schools identified were independent schools (with 10% having ineffective safeguarding arrangements) and secure training units.

Also, and somewhat surprisingly, schools who are currently graded as outstanding are on the 'at risk' list. Due to the exemption from inspection, some of these schools have not been inspected for over 10 years, leaving Ofsted with a lack of clarity on the quality of continuing safeguarding practices in these schools. While poor performance data will trigger an inspection, there is no such trigger for safeguarding. And in schools which fell from outstanding to inadequate, safeguarding is typically not effective.

You can read the speech delivered by Amanda Spielman here or the full annual report here, and you can let us know your thoughts on the report using the comments section below.