Phone Free School听
At 海角社区 the Apostle, we are committed
to creating a learning environment that supports students鈥櫶�
wellbeing, maximises learning time, and reduces
unnecessary distractions. With this in mind,听
smartphones are not allowed on site for students from Years 7
to 11.
We know that parents are as concerned with students being able to take a 鈥榙igital break鈥� from
their听
phones as are many students.听
If any student has a smartphone in their possession, it will be confiscated and returned to a
responsible听
adult after five school days. 听
We know that parents wish to communicate with their child as they travel to and from school. Brick听
phones
are allowed on site; however, they must be turned off and kept in their bags until students have听
left the
school grounds. 听
Should a brick phone be left on, be used inside the school gates, or not in a child鈥檚 bag, it will
be听
confiscated and returned to a responsible adult five school days after it has been confiscated. 听
Following a parents and students survey, before we introduced this procedure, we found that:听
鈥� 87% of
parents were concerned about their child accessing inappropriate content. 听
鈥� 88% of parents were opposed
to students having access to phones throughout the school day (in听
an emergency your child can be contact
through the school office). 听
鈥� 30% of students spent over 4 hours a day on their phone with 7% spending
over 6 hours a day on听
their phone. 听
鈥� 35% of students admitted they would like to spend less time on
their phone over the course of a听
week. 听
鈥� One in five of students wanted 鈥榮tricter rules鈥� on mobile
phones. 听
All this links with the recent increasing awareness and public discussion regarding the potential
harmful听
effects of smartphones on young people's mental, physical, and academic well-being. A growing
body of听
evidence links smartphone use to several serious harms and safeguarding risks, including: 听听
鈥�
Poor mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and loneliness; 听听
鈥� Difficulty with attention,
concentration, and social isolation; 听听
鈥� Sleep deprivation; 听听
鈥� Excessive social comparison; 听听
鈥�
Exposure to inappropriate content including violent and pornographic material; 听听
鈥� Addictive behaviours
that children struggle to manage; 听听
鈥� Reduced engagement in real-world activities and relationships
(research suggests that the average 12
year old spends four hours per day on their smartphone).听
At 海角社区 the Apostle, we are supportive of ensuring that all children have a digital break each day.听
Smartphone鈥慒ree Schools Gold Award
We are delighted to announce that our school has been officially recognised on the national , achieving the highest Gold rating for our commitment to maintaining a focused, healthy and distraction鈥慺ree learning environment.
This achievement reflects the dedication of our staff, students and families in supporting our clear and consistent approach to mobile phone use in school. It is a testament to our shared belief that learning thrives when attention is fully focused and wellbeing is prioritised.
We are proud to be part of a growing national movement working to reshape the culture around mobile phone use in schools. Thank you to all staff, students and parents for upholding our policy every day and helping to create the best possible environment for learning.
听