Parents have been told they will have to buy £25 pouches to lock up their children’s smartphones under a proposed new policy at an East Sussex school.
Cardinal Newman Catholic School, a state secondary in Hove, has told parents that, from September, pupils will be expected to have a magnet-secured wallet as part of its uniform policy.
Pupils will have to lock their devices away in pouches made by Yondr, an American company, at the start of the school day, making them inaccessible until they go home.
Claire Jarman, the head teacher, told parents that too much time was having to be spent on enforcing its existing smartphone ban.
In a letter to parents, seen by The Argus newspaper, Ms Jarman said: “As a school we are increasingly concerned about the impact of smartphones on our young people.
“Students receive up to three strikes per half term until they are required to hand in their phones to staff. Speaking bluntly, this is not working. Too many students at Cardinal Newman School are disregarding the rule and failing to hand in when required.
“This is, in turn, creating a huge workload for our staff – time and energy we would prefer to be focusing on supporting students in more positive ways.”
The letter told parents that the cost of the pouch would be around £25, The Argus reported.
