Mobile Phones

Mobile Phones

Starting September 2025:

• Year 7 and Year 8 students will hand in their switched-off phones to their tutor during morning registration, as part of our “Smart Start” routine.
• Phones will be kept safely in labelled boxes in a secure location and given back at the end of the school day.

Mobile phones will become a prohibited item in school from September, therefore if a student is found with a phone during the day:

• It will be taken away and a parent will need to collect it.
• The student will receive a sanction in line with our Behaviour Policy.

From January 2026, this routine will also include Year 9, Year 10, and Year 11.

From September 2025, Year 9, Year 10, and Year 11 phones must be switched off and in bags as soon as students arrive at school and before tutor time.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr Bridle or Ms Pope at:

dbridle@bohuntfarnborough.com                          mpope@bohuntfarnborough.com

Thank you for your support as we work together to help students succeed at Bohunt Farnborough.

Below we have outlined the reasons behind this policy, how it will work in practice and some suggestions to help parents navigate this change.

Safeguarding
We now have ample evidence that children with unrestricted access to the internet and social media are often exposed to highly inappropriate content, cyberbullying and online predators.  By limiting smartphone use, we aim to create a safer environment where students can focus on their learning without these potential threats.

Mental Health
Evidence is rapidly growing that smartphone and social media use leads to negative impacts upon children’s mental health and wellbeing, such as increased anxiety, depression and self harm.  By reducing smartphone usage further, we hope to foster a more positive and focused learning environment while reducing the pressures on young people associated with an online presence. 

Distraction
On average a teenager receives 237 notifications each day and the desire to constantly check a smartphone can easily become compulsive.  Studies consistently show that excessive smartphone use has a negative impact upon academic performance.

The short film ‘A Stolen Childhood’ (12 mins) is an excellent summary of the impacts of smartphones on school children.

What steps can I take as a parent?

We understand that this policy might require an adjustment for parents and we want to support families as much as we can with this transition.  If you need to contact your child during the school day, you can do so via our school reception.

We believe that this change will enable students to enjoy the multiple benefits of being completely smartphone free for over seven hours per day, including encouraging much healthier, face to face interaction on the way to and home from school.  We also hope that this change will help to collectively support parents who are concerned about the potentially very negative impacts of smartphones on their children.

Evidence Based Research Supporting Our Policy Change:

Smartphone Free Childhood: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/

Delay Smartphones: https://delaysmartphones.org.uk/

Online Safety Videos: https://www.knowsleyclcs.org.uk/online-safety-videos/

Helping Families Thrive in the Digital Age: https://www.papayaparents.com/

Netflix documentary ‘Social Dilemma’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaC57tcci0

Channel 4 documentary ‘Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones’: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/swiped-the-school-that-banned-smartphones

The Anxious Generation book and research by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com

Kids, Smartphone and Social Media – talk by Catherine Price: