A SCHOOL has become the first in the UK to force pupils to lock their phones away until the end of the day – and teachers can confiscate the devices.
Wimbledon High School in south west London brought in a Phone Away Box at the start of this year.
Getty Images – GettyPupils have to lock their phones away at one London school[/caption]
GoogleWimbledon High School has also banned pupils from bringing their phones on some school trips[/caption]
Year 7 and Year 8 pupils at the girls’ school have to put their phones in clear boxes on their lockers before morning registration – where they stay until 4pm.
Deputy head Ben Turner told MyLondon: “School life doesn’t end at the end of the school day any more, as it did during our childhoods.
“There is loads of evidence of the impact of phones on level of interaction and on mental health.
“Children go home and continue to interact with their school friends into the small hours.
“We felt like we needed to put in some practical measures to help our students make decisions that are right for them.”
Pupils have also been banned from bringing their phones on school trips during the summer.
Girls in Year 11 are allowed to look at their phones in the common room during breaktime – before putting them back in the box.
It comes after Education Secretary Gillian Keegan vowed to ban mobile phones from UK classrooms.
Keegan believes a ban will help to end disruption and make it easier for pupils to focus.
She promised to outlaw smartphones during lessons and breaks at the Tory conference in Manchester last month.
A UN report has recommended a ban to boost learning and cut cyberbullying.
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