Posted on Thursday 7th Dec 2023
A school in Kent is planning to make students put their mobile phones in a locked pouch during the day.
The John Wallis Academy in Ashford will introduce the measure in the new year.
Principal Damian McBeath explained that he hoped the rule would limit disruptions in the school and help with safeguarding.
Mr McBeath said he thought the academy would be the first school in Kent to use the pouches.
He said: "It's an issue that all schools are facing and trying to tackle and I think what we have found with the pouches is a way of not taking phones off students, because I think it is important that we educate children about the use of phones."
Every student will need to place their phone inside a pouch as they enter the school before it is magnetically locked and checked.
Can't find what you are looking for?
Don't worry, please call us anyway to discuss your ideal job.
Latest News
24/03/25Ex-Ofsted boss says education secretary wants 'to please unions'
The former head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, has criticised the education secretary and accused her of giving "a great deal of time and attention" to the teaching unions. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Ms Spielman claims "effective reforms are being reversed" - referring to potential changes to academy schools' powers.
20/03/25Childcare costs fall for the first time in 15 years – but nurseries are worried
Annual nursery costs for a child under two in England have fallen for the first time in 15 years, according to the children's charity Coram. It comes as the government continues to roll out its funded childcare scheme, which will provide all eligible working parents of pre-school children, not only three and four-year-olds as currently, with 30 hours of childcare per week from September. However, some nurseries and childminders say they may have to drop out of the scheme as government funding struggles to meet rising costs, including National Insurance increases from April.
17/03/25Poorest children missing more school and further behind after Covid
The poorest children are missing more school and falling further behind classmates, research shared with the BBC suggests. According to new analysis by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) - which looked at pupil performance after the Covid-19 pandemic - children from the lowest income families are now up to 19 months behind peers by the time they are 16 years old.
13/03/25The government faces a "now or never moment" to hit its target of recruiting 6,500 new teachers in England
The government faces a "now or never moment" to hit its target of recruiting 6,500 new teachers in England by the end of its term, a new report has suggested. Analysis by the National Foundation of Educational Research (NFER) says unfilled vacancies are at a record high and recruitment into teacher training remains "persistently low." All but five secondary subjects missed this year's recruitment targets for new trainee teachers, which are set by the Department for Education (DfE).
06/03/25Medway children offered secondary school places as the number who got their first choice revealed
A total of 96% of children were offered places at a secondary school of their choice in Medway
News Archive