At St Michael’s we are aware of the growing number of pupils at Primary School age, who have their own, or access to, a smartphone. In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of issues brought into school as a direct result of the use of mobile phones and messaging apps, such as Snapchat and Whatsapp.  This has had a detrimental effect on the emotional and mental health of many of our children; we have seen a rise in negative behaviours and this of course impacts upon teaching and learning.

The Board of Governors of St Michael’s have now adopted a Mobile Phone Policy. We understand that mobile phones and any other electrical communication devices (including smart watches) are now very much part of our daily means of communication but these devices need careful regulation.  This policy provides clear guidance on the use of mobile phones in school by both staff and pupils.

Overview of policy for Pupils

• Smart/mobile phones are not permitted in school
• Smart watches are not permitted in school.  Pupils may wear a digital or analogue watch which does not have any of the features listed above.  (a smart watch is a device which tells the time or records health data, but also has one or more of the following features; create, send and receive text and voice messages, access the internet, make calls, listen to music, take photographs.)

In some exceptional circumstances e.g. medical condition monitoring, exceptional travel arrangements) parents may wish their child to have a mobile phone. In this case, we will allow phones in school subject to a parent requesting permission from school, using the Permission Request Form. Once permission is granted a child will be allowed to bring a phone to school but must follow the rules outlined in the Mobile Phone Acceptable Use agreement.

As a group of Primary School Principals in South Belfast we wrote to you outlining our concerns regarding use of mobile/smart phones by children in schools.  The Department of Education also issued guidance to schools and parents regarding the use of such devices.

We would like to thank you for your continued support as we introduce our new mobile phone policy. This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to safeguarding all children and ensuring that school remains a safe, focused, and respectful environment for learning. We also hope that the policy will be a helpful tool for parents in managing smartphone use at home, encouraging healthy boundaries and responsible habits.