With an increasing number of parents seeing smartphones as a distraction in schools, particularly in the classroom, questions are arising about whether they should be completely banned, or whether they can actually be managed in such a way that they can benefit children and their education. Despite the temptation to use personal mobiles devices for inappropriate reasons in the classroom, Teach-Now finds that some schools are embracing them and even Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies. Yet the UK government has also proposed a ban on schoolchildren using them in schools. 

In an article with Teach-Now, Graham Macaulay-  Director of Innovation and Growth at LEO Academy Trust- says none of his pupils bring in a mobile device. They are instead supplied by the Trust to every one of its students. Their personal devices at left at the school office for safe-keeping, and so they are not used during the school day. 

He adds: “We have no BYOD on site at all. We are primary schools, but there is an uptake of this in secondaries, so I would guess that 50% of the pupils bring in their own mobile device and this is partly because of COVID.” 

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