ST0005

Written evidence submitted by Mrs Sharon Nicholls

Yondr?

Yondr creates phone-free spaces for organisations, including schools. The Yondr system is a simple solution that allows students to maintain possession of their phone at all times

Problems facing schools regarding mobile phones (not exhaustive list):

• Students using them during lessons – causing disruption to their learning
• Cyber bullying, during the school day
• Not talking/interacting with their peers/friends at breaktimes
• Videoing challenges – for example Tik Tok challenges – taking place during school times
• Social media influence
• Parental/home contact when not appropriate

Why The Warriner School introduced Yondr in January 2022?

Due to the current national context and Government pressure on schools, many schools have chosen to ban phones from site. However, we do not want to do this for safeguarding reasons, before and after school, so phones can be used in emergencies. We want:

• To create a calmer, phone-free space for 6.5 hours a day, during term-time
• To improve the mental health of all our students in Years 7-11, the year groups where we see the most issues around anti-social behaviours linked to phones
• To reduce the role mobile phones, play in online bullying and peer on peer abuse
• To improve productivity and concentration in lessons

How does it work?

Upon arrival at tutor groups, students will place their phone in their Yondr case, at 8.30am.  Students maintain possession of their phones at all times, throughout the day. At the end of P5 (3pm), as the students are leaving their last lesson, they will unlock their cases using the unlocking base in the classroom.

Do students maintain possession of their phone at all times?

Yes, locked in the case

Can students still use their phones for medical reasons?

Yes, as per agreements set in place with appropriate staff. Any student who uses their phone for medical purposes will be allowed to continue with this arrangement

If there is an emergency at home, what do students need to do?

Admin staff at our General Office and our Reception will support all students in any emergency and will make and take phone calls to ensure that home and students are able to communicate. There will be unlocking devices at GO and Reception and cases can be unlocked in seconds

Can teachers decide to use phones to support their teaching and the students’ learning?

Yes, but this will be on an individual basis, where staff will make professional judgements at specific points in their teaching

Do Sixth Formers have to use Yondr?

No but if they chose to, there will be spare cases for them

What happens if our spot checks find – for example – calculators in cases, not phones?

The student’s phone would be confiscated (no warnings) and they would need to be collected by the student at the end of the day. If this is a recurrent problem, the phone will be kept in our safe overnight and parents will be invited into school for a meeting with a senior member of staff

What happens if students destroy their cases on purpose?

They will be charged a replacement fee, but we will look at each incident on an individual basis and will financially support if needed

What happens if a case is damaged accidently, through no fault of the owner?

There will be no charge for replacement

What if a parent/guardian/carer wanted to ‘check-in’ with a student at lunchtime?

The school’s admin team are really happy to take calls or emails enquiring about any child’s well-being, or a practical issue like a forgotten lunch or PE kit. The school encourages appropriate communication between families, but we discourage communication that is either unnecessary (can wait until the end of the day) or communication that could upset/unsettle students within a school day and is better discussed face to face at the end of the day

Are there any students in Years 7-11 who can be exempt?

Generally not because we are not changing our school rules – phones are to be switched off at the bottom of a school bag – the only change is they are locked in a school bag. If any student needs them unlocked for a good reason, they will be unlocked. However, there may be a very small number of students with particular medical needs or special educational need who we will allow to be exempt but that will only be in consultation with senior staff and our SENCO. Students who use their phone for medical reasons may well be offered a Velcro Yondr case.

Can students use their phone from 3pm onwards, as they are going home?

Yes & before school, up until they go into their tutor group. As we have said, we are not banning phones before and after school – we are a phone free space during school hours

Does The Warriner School think students will benefit from having Yondr?

Absolutely, yes! There has been a significant reduction in cyber bullying taking place during the school day. Our current Year 7 and Year 8 students have not known anything else at the Warriner in connection with mobile phones and over 90% of their parents have been supportive of their use – as per parental voice. Older students and their parents found the change slightly more challenging because parents were used to contacting their child whenever they wanted to, via the child’s mobile phone and not having to go through our reception phone system. Parental voice for these students shows approximately 80% in support.

Staff are also broadly in agreement with the Yondr system but, due to the onus being on tutors in mornings, a few staff feel it is, ‘just another thing to do during tutor time.’ However, as new staff join us, it is just what we do here, so mindset is changing.

October 2023

SNI October 2023