Students and their parents/carers must read and understand the Mobile Phone Policy a condition upon which permission is given to bring mobile phones to school.
Students and their parents/carers must read and understand Acceptable Uses as a condition upon which permission is given to bring mobile phones to school.
“Mobile phone” is used throughout this document but refers to any type of digital device e.g. watches, iPads or tablets, which use the same technologies.
Tewkesbury Academy recognises that personal communication through mobile technologies is an accepted part of everyday life but that such technologies need to be used well.
Personal safety is vital and it is the school’s responsibility to make sure that students feel safe so that they can engage in their learning and develop as responsible caring young adults.
The widespread ownership of mobile phones among young people requires that school staff, teachers, students and parents/carers take steps to ensure that mobile phones are used responsibly at school. This Mobile Phone Policy is designed to ensure that potential issues involving mobile phones can be clearly identified and addressed, ensuring the benefits that mobile phones provide (such as increased safety) can continue to be enjoyed by our students.
Tewkesbury Academy has established this policy to provide school staff, teachers, students and parents/carers with clear guidelines and instructions for the appropriate use of mobile phones on the way to and from school, during school hours and after school.
The Mobile Phone Policy also applies to students during school excursions, camps and extra- curricular activities both on the school site and off-site.
Students Y7-Y11 are not permitted to use or handle any type of mobile phone at school, including watches, iPads, tablets, or any similar device that uses the same technologies. Students must abide by the guidelines outlined in this document.
Parents/carers should be aware that if their child takes a mobile phone to school, it is assumed household insurance will provide the required cover in the event of loss or damage. The school will not accept responsibility for any loss, damage or costs incurred due to its use.
Any mobile or electronic device, other than a Chromebook, that is brought into school must be switched off and kept out of sight in a school bag from 8am to 3.05 on Monday to Friday. Such devices must not be kept in students’ pockets. If devices are seen, they will be subject to confiscation.
It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that they do not use or handle their mobile device until they have left the school premises. This applies during extra-curricular activities, twilight lessons and after school clubs.
Parents/carers are asked to not make direct contact with their child via text or call during school hours, unless requested to do so by a member of staff. We recognise that you may need to get an urgent message to your child during the day and remind you that in cases of emergency, reception is the first point of contact and office staff can ensure your child is reached quickly and assisted in any relevant way. Passing on messages through school reception also reduces the likelihood of disrupting lessons inadvertently. This also applies for clubs and activities that take place after school hours.
In cases of emergency, children can contact parents by reporting to Student Reception at break or lunchtimes where a member of the inclusions team is on duty.
The school recognises that 6th form students, who are developing into young adults, should be allowed to use digital devices. In the 6th form, students may use their mobile phones in the 6th form common room or in the 6th form study room at the discretion of 6th form staff but not in classrooms, tutor bases or whilst travelling around the school site.
Mobile phones should not be used to make calls, send SMS messages, surf the internet, take photos or use any other application during educational activities, for example school trips.
Using mobile phones or other electronic devices to bully or threaten other students is totally unacceptable. Cyber bullying will not be tolerated. In some cases it can constitute criminal behaviour. If the use of technology humiliates, embarrasses or causes offence, it is unacceptable regardless of whether ‘consent’ was given.
It is forbidden for students to join together to target any student, individual or member of staff; to use their mobile phone to take videos/images in order to denigrate and humiliate an individual.
Sharing, sending or uploading images/videos to other students or individuals, or making them publicly available is strictly prohibited.
This also includes using mobile phones to photograph, film or audio record any student, individual or member of staff without their consent. It is a criminal offence to use a mobile phone to menace, harass or offend another person and almost all calls, text messages and emails can be traced.
It is unacceptable to take a picture of a member of staff without their permission. In the event that this happens the student will be asked and expected to delete those images. Examples might include at a school function or going home.
Mobile phones are banned from all exams. Any student found in possession of a mobile phone during an exam will have their paper disqualified. Such an incident may result in all other exam papers being disqualified.
Any student who uses vulgar, derogatory, or obscene language transmitted through a mobile phone will face disciplinary action.
Students who infringe the rules set out in this document will have their phones confiscated by school staff. The incident will be recorded.
Phones will be given to student reception and will be placed in a bag labelled with the student’s name, the name of the teacher who confiscated the phone, the date and time. Phones will be kept securely.
Parents/carers will be notified and in the first instance students will be permitted to collect their phone at the end of the day from student reception.
Students who have their phones confiscated for a second time during a school year will be unable to collect their phone themselves. Parents/carers must collect the phone from student reception.
Parents/carers will receive an email from the school to confirm which reception office is holding the phone and that they may collect the phone no earlier than 3.30pm that day. Parents/carers will need to sign for the phone.
Any further infringements of the Mobile Phone Policy may result in a student being issued with a ban which prevents them from bringing a mobile phone on site or a ban from taking a mobile phone on school trips or school activities.
If a student refuses to hand their mobile phone to a member of staff, then this will be escalated in line with our school behaviour policy.
As set out in the previous section, failure to heed the rules set out in this document may result in an alleged incident, of a serious nature, being referred to the police for investigation. In such cases, the parent or carer would be notified immediately.
Failure to hand over a phone that is seen on the school site, will result in an immediate callout of a senior member of staff and a consequent same day detention. The student will be placed into isolation by that member of staff. In the isolation room the student will be expected to hand over their phone immediately. Refusal to hand over the phone once in isolation may result in a fixed term exclusion. Students who persistently breach policy are at risk of being referred to the Inclusion Centre or in more serious cases of persistent breaches, fixed term exclusions may be considered.
The school accepts no responsibility for replacing lost, stolen or damaged mobile phones or devices if they are brought into school or for students who lose or have their mobile phones stolen while travelling to and from school.
Mobile phones that are found in the school should be handed in to either Student Reception or Main Reception.
