Mobile Phone Policy
At St Joseph’s we are committed to ensuring your child’s safety and happiness while in school.
In this fast-moving technological age, mobile phone technology means mobiles are so much more than simply phones, and this leaves pupils open to cyber-bullying as well as accessing material and images that none of us would wish them to see, sometimes being sent these without their knowledge.
We advocate that mobile phones are not brought into school.
If, however, you do choose for your child to bring a mobile phone into school then the following criteria will apply:
- Mobile phones must not be used on our school premises for any reason under any circumstances.
- Mobile phones must be switched off on school premises.
If a pupil is seen using a mobile phone for any reason on school premises, or if the phone ‘goes off’ whilst on premises, it will be confiscated and given to a Deputy Headteacher or stored in the school office.
We recognise that some parents genuinely would like pupils to carry mobiles to and from school for their personal safety, however police advice is for young people not to make open use of mobile phones in public places to reduce street crime. Consequently, we would urge pupils who need to contact home to do so before leaving the school site via the school office.
Inappropriate text messaging is sometimes used as a form of bullying and if this proves to be happening in school it must be dealt with appropriately (please see our anti-bullying policy and cyberbullying policy). If you become aware of any such incidents then please report them to the relevant Head of Year.
If a mobile phone goes off during a GCSE examination then this will have to be reported to the relevant examination board. Please can all examination candidates remember this as it may result in disqualification from the exam, or even the entire subject.
If a mobile phone is brought into school it may be left in the school office during the day. Each student must place their phone in an envelope (on which they write their name) into which they place their phone. This is then handed in to the main office and can be collected at the end of the school day.
Energy Drinks – Statement
In response to recent national guidance and our online consultation with parents governors have confirmed that from September, energy drinks will be added to the list of banned substances here at St Joseph’s. Evidence has demonstrated that energy drinks impact negatively on pupil attitudes and achievement and from September they will be confiscated in line with school policy and procedures.
Any energy drinks will therefore be confiscated from pupils.*
To avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, any bottles that display energy drink branding will also be confiscated.
Pupils should look to carry their drinking water in non energy drink bottles.
The Headteacher shall be the final arbiter in any confiscation decision.
*Screening, Searching and Confiscation– Advice for headteachers, school staff and governing bodies (Feb 2014)
