Why one school has banned phones for some pupils - but not others

Introducing the pilot involved a financial investment, because the school plumped for a system where pupils place their phones in sealed pouches - which can only be opened at the end of the day by a special magnetic device.

The cost, Hicks said, was about £8 per pupil, amounting to £1,700 for the year group.

"Money's very scarce in education but it's fully justified."

BBC Wales asked all 204 of Wales' secondary and all-age schools about their phone policies.

Phones were not allowed during the day in 83 of the 95 schools who responded.

Most said they had to be kept in bags throughout the day, while seven used a pouch system similar to the one piloted at Islwyn High.

A small number asked pupils to hand in devices to the form tutor or school office, while 12 allowed phone use at break times.

Over half of respondents said they had changed their policies in the past two years, with most moving to stricter restrictions, and comments about the impact was overwhelmingly positive.

They said student interaction, social skills and behaviour had improved, while several mentioned dealing with fewer social media bullying incidents.

Comments included "calmer in lessons", "less fall out between pupils during the day" and "board games seen during lunch".

But one school said pupils were "more sneaky" and using phones under desks and in toilets after sanctions for breaking rules were clarified.

Changing policies has not been an exclusively positive experience, and one Anglesey head teacher said enforcing a stricter policy "requires a level of time and emotional energy that's exhausting for staff".

Head teacher of Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi, Adam Williams, said there were "mixed views" from parents, pupils and even teachers when the school consulted on its policy two years ago, addressing the disruption caused by phones.

While they are no longer allowed in lessons, students are still permitted phones during break times - the school having previously retreated from a stricter ban.

But he said "parental support is very mixed" and managing use during break times created "flashpoints for conflict" between pupils and staff.

"We don't always get the backing that's needed when it comes to restricting or banning phones, and this can create more conflict than is needed between home and school," Williams added.

He said in some schools, particularly in areas of high deprivation, there was "genuine concern that a complete ban could lead to more conflict, increased sanctions and even more exclusions".

"At a time when attitudes towards education and good attendance are already fragile, this represents a real risk."

Responding to the questionnaire, another school leader said many parents were supportive but others "don't always support the school policy and will on occasions tell students not to hand phones in to staff".

Islwyn High School staff went on a fact-finding visit to Ysgol Aberconwy, in Conwy, before launching the pilot.

The first school in Wales to introduce a pouch system in September 2023, head teacher Ian Gerrard called the impact "nothing short of transformational" when the ban was introduced for the whole school at once.

"I think the real benefit is to have a very clear-cut policy, that everybody knows where they stand," he said.

Arwen, in Year 11, said she was "quite resistant to it" because she used to text friends rather than talk to them.

"Now I see how ridiculous that was, when they were across the table from me."

She said she's not so reliant on her phone and one benefit is "people aren't taking photos of you without you knowing because that used to be a big thing".

Other responses to BBC Wales' research suggested that many schools have different rules for sixth formers, who are often allowed to use phones in common rooms or specified areas, but not usually in corridors.

Parents have previously raised concerns about children being asked to use their phones for tasks in lessons, but most respondents said this didn't happen - with some schools mentioning investing in laptops or tablets so that pupils didn't need to use their phones.

A few schools said they allowed phones to be used at the teacher's discretion, for tasks such as photography.

If rules were broken, schools said they confiscated phones for the day, escalating to longer bans, detentions and calling parents for repeated breaches of policy.

Nearly all schools said the local authority did not set a policy for the county, although Carmarthenshire County Council had a Phones Out of Sight policy, which prohibits phone use during the day for year seven to 11.

When asked about a blanket Welsh government policy on phones in schools, 71 said they would be in favour.

The Welsh government announced a national survey on phone use last month, ahead of a proposed consultation process and guidance.

Hicks said: "I think the issue is significant enough that we would welcome a position from Welsh government, rather than 'it's for governing bodies to decide', which is the current situation.

But Gerrard has mixed feelings, and said: "I think it's really helpful to have some guidance from government, but it's equally true that schools need to find a policy to fit their own context."

Plaid Cymru said there was growing evidence that damage caused by smartphones outweighed the benefits for children and young people.

The party said it would introduce plans to "empower local authorities to promote safety, learning and student wellbeing by restricting the use of smartphones in schools for under-16s" with "reasonable and relevant exemptions".

A Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson said it supported a "clear, Wales-wide approach to limiting smartphone use in schools, including a legal ban during the school day".

They added the ban should be applied with "common sense and with exemptions for young carers or pupils managing health conditions".

Welsh Labour said: "Decisions on smartphone use in Wales, including during break times, remain a matter for individual schools."

It added that the party was "committed to raising standards in school" and "supported any school that seeks to introduce a policy restricting the use of mobile phones - protecting learners and improving their engagement in lessons".

The Welsh Conservatives said phones were "a major distraction" which undermined learning.

"That is why the Welsh Conservatives will ban mobile phones from classrooms, with sensible exemptions for pupils with medical needs," the spokesperson said.

Reform UK said it would ban phones in school, while Wales Green Party said schools should be phone-free environments.