Mobile Phone use

Mobile Phone Usage at Our Lady and St Philip Neri

At Our Lady and St Philip Neri, the safety and wellbeing of our pupils is always our priority. For this reason, we have clear expectations around mobile phone use in school:

• Only children in Year 5 and Year 6 are permitted to bring a mobile phone to school.

• Phones must be handed in to a staff member on the gate or at the school office as soon as children arrive on school grounds.

• Phones are securely stored during the school day and returned at the end of the day.

As a school, we strongly recommend that children do not bring smartphones. Instead, we encourage families to provide a basic “brick style” phone for communication/tracking purposes only. However, we respect that this decision ultimately lies with parents and carers.

If your child does have a smartphone, we ask that you take an active role in keeping them safe online. This may include:

• Setting clear rules for phone use, including screen time limits.

• Checking that parental controls and age-appropriate restrictions are in place.

• Regularly reviewing your child’s apps, contacts, and online activity.

• Talking openly with your child about safe and respectful use of technology.

By working together, we can ensure that mobile phones are used safely and responsibly, supporting both learning and wellbeing.