College to ban smartphones for Year 7 pupils

A college has told parents it plans to ban smartphones for Year 7 students from September.

In a letter to parents, Blanchelande College, in Guernsey, said it did not believe 11 to 12 year olds, "require smartphones at this stage" which could cause a distraction, even when kept in lockers.

Students already have to switch off phones and keep them in lockers during the school day, but the college said the change would also "reduce pressure" on parents to provide smartphones at the start of school.

The letter said the college was reviewing their mobile phone policy for all other year groups with the aim to create a "focused, healthy, and distraction-free environment".

The letter signed by the college's principal Alexa Yeoman and vice-principal Vanessa Mitchell said the decision was made with new UK regulations on mobile phone use in mind.

A ban on smartphones in schools in England came into force on Monday, 29 June, making individual schools and trusts legally responsible for being phone-free throughout the day.

The letter said there was also a "growing body of research" highlighting the impact of smartphones on "mental health, attention, sleep, and overall wellbeing".

"Like many leading independent schools, we are committed to staying ahead of this movement and want to lead the way in Guernsey with a clear, consistent zero-tolerance approach to mobile phones during the school day," it said.

"As a result, from September we will introduce a full ban on smart phones or internet enabled devices for all Year 7 students whilst on College premises.

"If a device is needed for safety or communication, this should be limited to a basic brick phone which must be stored in lockers."

The letter said: "As parents ourselves, we understand the challenge of raising young people in today's fast-moving, hyper-connected world whilst balancing independence, safety, and modern technology.

"However, as school leaders, we also believe we must be decisive and take a proactive role in protecting focus, wellbeing, and meaningful social connection during the school day.

"We want to play our part in reducing notification anxiety, distraction, and online-related issues wherever we can."

The two other private colleges in the island, Elizabeth College and Ladies' College both have similar bans on mobile phone use during school hours, where devices must be turned off and stored while on school premises.

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