Midlands secondary schools become first to announce phones ban

Pupils will be banned from using phones at one of the largest academy chains in the country. Ormiston Academies Trust, which runs schools in the West Midlands, said kids would not be able to use phones during the school day.

The ban will impact around 35,000 pupils at 42 schools. Bosses said the decision had been taken around concerns over social media use and how easy it was for children to "access inappropriate content" while in the classroom.

It follows growing concerns over recent years about the use of phones and social media in schools, amid concerns over their impact on mental health of youngsters. Earlier this year, the Government made it easier for headteachers to ban phones.

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Schools have found themselves unable to keep up with the advances in mobile phone technology and increasing use among children of younger ages over the last decade or so. Ormiston has a number of sites in the region including Sandwell Community Academy in Oldbury, Forge Academy in Cradley Heath, Wodensborough Academy in Wednesbury and NEW Academy in Wolverhampton.

Tom Rees, Ormiston’s chief executive, told the Guardian: “We are seeing huge and real concerns around mental health, post-pandemic. These are not just self-reported, we’re also seeing real concerns about self-harm, attempted suicide, A&E admissions – these are facts from across the world involving young people and adolescents.

“We’re seeing a clear correlation between that and mobile phone and social media use, in particular. Not all mobile phone use is equal and the relationship between that and adolescent mental health, we think, is overwhelming.

“There is a responsibility for society to respond, and a responsibility for schools to make it harder for children to access inappropriate content through the school day and restrict the draw of social media.”