A new mobile phone pouch system being introduced at a Congleton high school has sparked concerns among parents.
Students at Eaton Bank Academy will now be required to magnetically lock their phones in a pouch at the start of the school day and have them released at home-time.
The move has been led by the county crime commissioner Dan Price, but also comes after the Government announced a new policy encouraging schools to ban phones throughout the entire school day, including breaks and lunchtimes.
Locking away phones during the day has a number of aims, from cutting screen-related stress to improved socialising and safeguarding, with studies reporting a reductions in disruptive hidden phone use and online safeguarding incidents.
But not everyone is convinced. Laura Peacock, whose children attend Eaton Bank Academy, posted her concerns on social media when she received the school’s email last Monday.
In the post she said: “In the current climate, with increasing discussions around school safety, lockdowns, emergency incidents and now the terror threat raised, I would feel reassured knowing my children have a direct way to contact me if something serious was ever to happen.”
Mrs Peacock also raised concerns about the school’s new policy of searching children if a phone or pouch was found to be missing or broken.
The school’s email said children who forgot their phone pouch, or had not brought their phone to school, would be asked to use a scanning wand to search their own belongings and uniform, under the supervision of a member of staff.
It also included a table of punishments laid out for students if they did not follow the new policy and were found with an unpouched phone.
They included a day in isolation for a first warning, a day at an alternative school, known as alternative provision, for a second offence, followed by suspension if the rules were not followed a third time.
Mrs Peacock said she raised her concerns with the school and asked if she could provide her child with a “brick phone”, without internet access, in case of an emergency. The school denied her request and said: “In the unlikely event of a school lockdown or emergency, the school would make contact home for all students.”
Mrs Peacock said she became more concerned after hearing about an incident earlier this month at a high school in Salford, when students were told to “leave their belongings, go home and phone their parents after the school received malicious communications.”
The Manchester Evening News reported that children were panicking as they packed up their things.
“This is what is concerning me,” Mrs Peacock said.
“I would be more comfortable if my children had their phones with them.”
Police and crime commissioner Mr Price has said he wanted Cheshire to be the first county in the UK where all state high schools had lockable phone pouches, and has announced a 150,000 funding plan. The maker of the pouches has also subsidised the plan.
Mr Price said: “From a crime prevention perspective, this is an absolute no-brainer. Less online bullying, less access to potentially harmful or violent content, fewer distractions and fewer exclusions.
“We know the impact this can have. That’s why we must make this happen here.”
He said the phone pouches would be funded for two years to support schools during the initial set-up period, but admitted it would not cover all of the money that was needed to run the scheme.
“Matched funding from other public and philanthropic funds could further accelerate this plan to make sure all state high schools operate an effective phone-free solution by 2026,” he said.
The new phone pouch policy at Eaton Bank Academy is due to come into effect on Monday.
The school was contacted for comment.
Other schools in the area were also contacted but said they did not yet have a date for when they would be introducing the phone pouches. Most schools ban phone use during the day.
