Secondary School Rules

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Looking for help
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Secondary School Rules

Post by Looking for help »

We have just been for an interview with the head of year seven at our son's new school.
He will have to travel 20 miles on public transport to get to school in September, and we have just been informed of the'absolutely no mobile phones on site' rule. We enquired politely as to whether this could be overlooked when a child will have to travel so far in order to get to school and were told that the rule stands. I asked whether we could keep our mobile phone in our locker and was told , emphatically, no.

Can I ask what other posters think about this rule, and whay on earth do we do - I can't imagine sending my child off every day without means of contact in an emergency.

Thanks

Looking for even more help now :cry:
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Post by hermanmunster »

Hi LFH

That is really difficult - I was thinking back to when I travelled to school long distance on public transport - we had no phones but then the public phones were more numerous and they worked and you could get a reverse charge call easily.

These days DS and DD can see their schools out of the window so it ain't a problem for me but I would feel very uneasy if they were on public transport without a phone.
The main issue I would have thought is that DS needs to be able to contact you rather than you contact him. I must say I would be tempted to get a cheap as chips PAYG phone - charge it up, prime it with your number and a small amount of money, switch it off and hide it in the bottom of his bag for emergencies only and strict instructions not to be brought out at school - only if there are problems with transport.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

I assume you have asked if they can hand it into reception each morning and pick up at the end of the day? It's not ideal but if it's a continued no and DC is sensible, I would consider sending one in the school bag,turned off at all times until he gets on the bus on the way home. Of course if it's a school bus then he cannot do this, but equally there would be less to worry about too if he is on the school bus.
Looking for help
Posts: 3767
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Post by Looking for help »

Oh yes - there is no way it's allowed. And if he gets caught once, it's banned for a week, twice and the ban is indefinite :!:

Its absolutely ridiculous, given the length of his journey.

However we may use Herman's advice, some cheap PAYG pone, should do.

Thank you
KES Parent

Post by KES Parent »

Is this a school that you have chosen for your son, or a school that he has been, err, allocated to? I can't imagine how they would go about enforcing the ban, anyway, so I think what I would do would be to give him a phone kept in a zipped blazer pocket, and tell him on no account to turn it on in school or draw attention to it in any way. I wouldn't worry too much, none of my DCs have had mobiles when going to school and nor did any generation before this one. What is more worrying is the school's inflexible attitude to what you clearly regard as an issue of safety. Clearly you don't want to get on the wrong side of your DS's new school before he even goes there, so I would go for the low profile solution, and explain to him why he must obey you if he is to have the phone available to him. My guess is that they will be so busy dealing with kids texting etc in lessons that they won't bother to check on anyone who isn't actually misusing one. They can't search him, anyway, without a parent or his solicitor present. If possible get a blazer with two zipped pockets so he can keep other things such as money in a different one from the phone. Of course, this advice presupposes that a blazer is part of his uniform. :oops:
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

I have not heard of a school that bans mobiles these days - most have a policy of 'turn it off all day' or hand in at reception or keep in locker.
Looking for help
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Post by Looking for help »

Me neither - wish I'd read that rule before :shock:

LFH
KES Parent

Post by KES Parent »

Looking for help wrote:Oh yes - there is no way it's allowed. And if he gets caught once, it's banned for a week, twice and the ban is indefinite :!:

ou
When you say banned, do you mean he will be excluded first for a week, and then indefinitely? If it is just the phone that is banned, then that is the situation anyway, so he might as well take a chance!
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Don't put it in a blazer as you'll have a problem in PE ... leave in a locker all day. If it's in a lunch box type thing no-one will know it stays there all day.
Looking for help
Posts: 3767
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Post by Looking for help »

KES Parent wrote:
Looking for help wrote:Oh yes - there is no way it's allowed. And if he gets caught once, it's banned for a week, twice and the ban is indefinite :!:

ou
When you say banned, do you mean he will be excluded first for a week, and then indefinitely? If it is just the phone that is banned, then that is the situation anyway, so he might as well take a chance!
Oh that cheered me up a bit - no it's the mobile phone I think, not the child :lol:

Maybe if he keeps getting caught though :!:

LFH

Yes I think it'll need to be hidden in his locker or at the bottom of his bag. But what sort of example is this to be showing a child - break the rules if you don't like them ? :shock:
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