'Locking my phone away at school reduces stress'
BBCA secondary school has introduced tougher limits on students' access to smartphones as pressure grows on the government to take action on the issue.
It is now compulsory for Year 7 and 8 pupils at Alderbrook School, Solihull, to lock away their devices at the start of the day, after a voluntary scheme began last year.
Head teacher Tom Beveridge, said it had "reduced the number of incidents of children being unkind to each other online and, anecdotally in lessons, students are more focused".
Beveridge is among those calling for a smartphone ban in schools and a social media ban for under-16s. The government is currently holding a UK consultation on a proposal for a social media ban.
Many of Alderbrook's pupils are already seeing the benefits of being separated from their devices.
Year 8 student Youssef, said locking his phone away had "taken away a lot of the stress" he felt about carrying it around in his bag, because he worried someone might steal it.
Megan who is in Year 7, said her screen time had gone down from two hours a day to 16 minutes, as a result of handing her phone in.
"At home I don't feel very attached to it, knowing I don't have to be," she added.
While the phone hand-in scheme is having a big impact, implementing it takes time out of the school day.
Before lessons start, students from both year groups have to queue up to slot their devices into mobile phone storage lockers.
There are a couple of dozen teachers keeping a close eye on the lockers, which have to then be safely stored, before being brought back out at the end of the day to hand the phones back to pupils.
It's one of many reasons why Beveridge would like to see the government introduce a legal ban on smartphones in schools.
"Actually, if we ban phones it would free up a huge amount of time that school leaders are having to think about implementing this," he said.
In January, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson updated guidance that schools should be phone-free, but since then momentum has been growing for a ban with the House of Lords backing the move in a vote last week.
Alderbrook isn't just putting tougher limits on younger pupils, it has also banned sixth-formers from using their smartphones during independent study periods.
Beveridge said they introduced it after noticing last year that a number of students were doom-scrolling on social media instead of studying.
"By taking that away we've seen a much more focused environment," Beveridge said.
Year 13 student Breshna said before the ban she had a "constant urge" to check her phone but now was able to "concentrate" on studying for her A-Levels.
Another sixth form student, Jasmine, said that without phones as a distraction "we have been able to develop friendships a lot more".
While many students support a phone ban in schools, there are mixed views about an Australian-style social media ban for under 16s.
Some feel the age limit is too high, including Year 11 student Emilie who feels "social media can be a good thing when you're educated on it, because it's a way to express yourself and communicate".
Jamila, another year 11 student, said restrictions would be better than banning it altogether, "because saying no to something can have the opposite effect for some people".
As the government decides what to do, Beveridge plans to continue taking a tough stance on phones.
From September, Year 7s won't be allowed to bring smartphones into school.
"If they want to bring a phone into school it will be a brick phone and that will continue to roll up the school, so in a few years time the school won't have any smartphones."
