School's No-Phone Policy is the Way Forward

Headlines are returning again and again to the issue of mobile phone usage for young people and the negative effect it has on mental health, well being and a child's ability to socialise. Schools, academies, local authorities are all looking at this more closely and it is possilbe to see a roll out of change whereby tougher restrictions on phone usage are being introduced.

However, for one school in Somerset, this approach is nothing new. Hazlegrove Prep School has had an ongoing no phone policy for many years and often describes itself as an 'unplugged school'. Whilst children learn how to use technology in a respectable and informed way, (all children from Year 6 create work on iPads), neither children or staff can be seen walking around the school site on their phones - at any time.

Headmaster, Ed Benbow , comments, ' One of the many attractions of a school like Hazlegrove, is that we provide an environment where children can be children, enjoy the great outdoors, and develop a profound sense of curiosity, creativity and confidence. We want to help preserve that sense of childhood whilst providing our children with responsibility and leadership experience, such that they are fully prepared, emotionally, and academically, for the exciting challenge of senior school at 13.

Integral to our nurturing environment is our “no-phone” policy, which has always been strictly adhered to at Hazlegrove, both by our pupils and as importantly by our staff. I vividly recall attending the new staff induction on my first day here as Head, and one of the first things I was told by my Deputy Head, in no uncertain terms, was that my phone was never to be seen in use in front of the children.

We do, of course, promote and educate the use of technology through our use of iPads within our curriculum, but we also recognise that separation from personal phone use plays a key part in protecting our children from the pitfalls of social media and addictive behaviour patterns. It also has a far-reaching impact on the development of their human social interaction, self-awareness, empathy, and a deeper understanding of nature and the world around them. I often talk to our parents about the importance of the “UFO” effect that a no-phone policy fosters, namely the ability to look Up, Forward and Out. This approach is no less important for my staff, who can provide our children with their undivided attention, whilst also cultivating their own sense of wonder, and building a more personal bond with their colleagues.

It is very encouraging to see recent government commentary placing more emphasis on this approach within education, and many senior schools already supporting their pupils with a more formalised reduction in the use of personal phones. Together we will help our children to grow into bright, curious young adults, with a more balanced appreciation of the world around them, as well as a greater sense of self'.