Jennifer and Aron set out why Ormiston is rolling out phone-free school days across all of our secondary schools. They highlight how smartphones are a direct barrier to learning, behaviour and wellbeing – enabling distraction, exposure to harmful content, and contributing to the adolescent mental health crisis – and point out that early results from schools already operating phone-free have been so positive that expanding the approach trust-wide is both the right call and one with strong community backing.
In the article, they walk through practical approaches being trialled, from locked boxes where phones are handed in at the start of the day to individual signal-blocking pouches kept in students’ bags. Both methods have been introduced in consultation with parents and with accommodations for pupils who need quick access for medical reasons. Early feedback from staff and students has been encouraging, with teachers reporting improved focus and older pupils saying they feel freed from the pressure of being constantly online.