Yes. All students will be able to contact home in genuine emergencies through clear and supported school processes. Pupils have access to their head of year, in the pastoral office throughout the day. 

An emergency includes situations involving illness, distress, safety concerns, or urgent changes to arrangements. 

We have a medical professional in school who is always accessible. Students should go to the medical room, who will assess the situation and contact parents where appropriate. We also have members of staff across the school who are first aid trained to deal with more significant medical emergencies. 

We recognise this concern and are strengthening support systems so students know who to go to and feel comfortable doing so. Most students can talk to their form tutor, or visit their heads of year, who are always happy to listen to their concerns. We also have a dedicated SEN department, working in the Learning Hub, Thrive and The Cloud, that work with students regularly who suffer from anxiety and other mental health issues. Many students will have adults working in these areas that they know well, as well as the teaching assistants who they spend a lot of time with. Children with anxieties can often identify who their “safe person” is in school and we encourage those students to talk to them. 

Yes. Students can use their phones outside of the school day, including for travel arrangements to and from school. 

Through parental voice, we were keen to implement a strategy that made sure students had their phones to and from school. Digital bus tickets will therefore be available to use when needed as long as the expectations in school are met. Physical bus tickets are still available to purchase from the drivers, with either cash or card. TFGM: Travelling to School

Students will be supported in contacting home to arrange alternative transport if needed. This can be done via classcharts, issued by the teacher taking the activity. Our parents are excellent at using classcharts as the main communication line between school and home, and we can help anyone to access it if needed. 

Yes. Parents should contact the school main office, and messages will be passed on promptly. Main reception will take the call, and we have communication lines in school that work already, to make sure the message is received. 

We are reviewing procedures to ensure calls are answered quickly and messages are delivered consistently. Our main reception is always staffed. For communication the other way, the pastoral office is available and we have a dedicated assistant there who can support with communication. 

Individual arrangements will be considered for students with specific medical or health requirements. These will be endorsed by a medical professional. An example of this is type 1 diabetes, in which a child uses the phone to monitor blood sugar levels, or their insulin pump. These pupils may keep their phone on them to use in a professional manner. 

We recognise this concern and are strengthening support systems so students know who to go to and feel comfortable doing so. Most students can talk to their form tutor, or visit their heads of year, who are always happy to listen to their concerns. We also have a dedicated SEN department, working in the Learning Hub, Thrive and The Cloud, that work with students regularly who have additional needs and other mental health issues. Many students will have adults working in these areas that they know well, as well as the teaching assistants who they spend a lot of time with. 

Yes, there will be clear processes to support communication when plans change. If a communication needs to be sent home, there are many members of staff in school that are happy to facilitate. If it is a sports fixture, then it might be the PE department, or if it is a pastoral need, then the heads of year are available. 

To reduce distractions, improve focus on learning, and support positive social interaction. The government have issued a number of statements explaining that students “should not have access to their phones during the school day”. Bramhall High is following suit of thousands of schools up and down the country that are employing different methods accomplishing this requirement.

Here are the links to the government guidelines and research around smartphone use in children: 

Department for Education
Smartphone Free Childhood

Yes, however the intention is to limit use during the school day, not remove access entirely where needed. Students will have access to their phone to and from school, but not between the hours of 8:30 and 15:00. They have been added to the banned items list.

Consequences will be applied consistently, focusing on supporting responsible behaviour. The child will hand over their phone for 1 calendar week (5 school days), if they have their phone on them during the school day, after which a parent can pick the phone up. If a child refuses this, they will be issued with a 1 day suspension. In this event, if a child needs to take a bus home, and their pass is on their phone, we can ensure they have money for the bus and so can still access transport. 

The school will follow clear procedures, but students bring phones at their own risk. In schools we have visited, many students leave their phones at home. In nearly every working case (other than if a student takes ill during the day, or the phone has to be confiscated) the only person who will touch the phone, is the student. The school keeps confiscated phones in a safe. However, via government legislation, the school accepts no responsibility for replacing lost, stolen or damaged mobile devices; this includes mobile devices confiscated by staff. 

Students do not need to access SCOPAY during the day. If they need lunch money topped up, then they can visit their head of year, or main reception who can contact home. We ask that parents monitor accounts regularly to avoid the necessity of contact. 

No. They will not be allowed to use their phone at break or lunchtime as this is within the school day.

By strengthening supervision, staff support, and clear safeguarding procedures, all detailed above. All staff are trained in statutory guidance, “Keeping Children Safe in Education” and take reports of abuse or bullying very seriously. All children are listened to regarding allegations of this nature. 

Students will be supported to report concerns to staff, and serious issues will always involve parents. We are trained in school to monitor and intervene in bullying cases and are present to deal with changing circumstances quickly. Schools implementing the ban have reported a decrease in bullying. 

We are reviewing systems to ensure accountability and consistency in message delivery. We have a system in place in school that already facilitates the delivery of messages. 

Yes. The school will consider individual medical needs, endorsed by a medical 
professional. An example of this would be a diabetic monitoring blood sugar levels. 

Yes. Student voice will be included to help shape a fair and workable approach. 

Yes. The school will monitor the impact and adjust where necessary. We are keen to work with parents and children to maximise the effectiveness of the procedure to achieve what we set out to and mitigate problems that appear as the process embeds. 

As a school we will support parents who want to reduce their child’s use of 
smartphones. There are alternatives out there which have some technical capabilities, 
but without the overabundance of apps. You can look here for more information:
www.smartphonefreechildhood.org/alternatives