Parents and carers may have seen recent coverage of the Government’s continued strengthening of its position on mobile phones in schools. The BBC’s report can be read here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c51kdk422w8jo
We are pleased that Icknield is ahead of the national picture in this regard. Our Yondr system continues to work well, and we would like to thank the majority of students who meet our expectations every day. We have seen a reduction in incidents of cyber-bullying since the system was introduced, and we hope that students are benefiting from time away from their phones during the school day.
There are, however, two issues for which we need your support.
Forgotten pouches. Although this may appear to be a minor matter, it creates a significant workload for our office staff who must process these phones at the start and end of each day. It also delays the departure of the school buses, which is in no one’s interest at the end of a full day’s work. Students who do not bring their pouch to school will, therefore, receive a sanction. This is not a step we take lightly, but it is necessary to protect a system that is working well for the whole school community.
Damaged pouches. We recognise that some pouches are faulty, and we are seeking free replacements for these from Yondr. A small number of students, however, have treated their pouches carelessly or attempted to force them open. As you will be aware, this project has come at a significant cost to the school, over and above the voluntary contributions from families, for which we remain very grateful. Now that phone-free schools have been mandated, we hope to receive financial support from the Department for Education, although this has yet to be confirmed.
In the meantime, we ask that you support your child in establishing good habits:
If your child does not regularly bring a phone to school, it is important that you inform the school (office@icknield.oxon.sch.uk) so that an exemption card can be issued.
