St. Mary's
C.E. Primary School
'Shining Brighter and Brighter'
Proverbs 4:18
At St Mary’s, we want children to enjoy learning, play and friendships without the distractions of personal devices during the school day. We also want to help them develop healthy digital habits: knowing when to put a device away, respecting other people’s privacy and asking for help when something online worries them.
Our school day is mobile-phone free. Pupils must not access or use personal phones or smart devices during lessons, breaktimes, clubs where they remain under school supervision, or other school activities. If your child needs to contact you, an adult will help them through the school office. If you need to pass on an urgent message, please contact the office rather than your child’s device.
You can read the full Mobile Phone and Smart Device Policy and our Online Safety Policy.
Children in Years 5 and 6 who have permission to travel to or from school independently may bring a phone for their journey. Any phone brought for this purpose must be a simple device with only the functions needed for emergency communication.
Please make sure your child:
labels the phone with their name;
switches it off before entering the school site;
hands it to their class teacher or designated adult immediately on arrival; and
keeps it switched off and put away after it is returned, until they have left the school site.
Phones must not be used on the playground or elsewhere on the school site. We encourage families to choose a basic phone without internet access or apps if a child needs a way to contact home on their journey.
The temporary arrangement allowing some pupils to bring an existing smartphone applied to 2025–26 only and has now ended.
A smartwatch that can send messages, receive notifications, make calls, connect to the internet or record images or sound is treated like a phone. If brought to school, it must be switched off and handed in. A watch without these smart functions may be worn as an ordinary watch.
Children should not routinely wear or carry active location trackers, including AirTags, during the school day, on trips or on residential visits. If a Year 5 or 6 child needs a tracker for independent travel, it should be handed in on arrival and collected at the end of the day. Please speak to the Headteacher in advance if you believe an exception is needed.
Unless we specifically tell families otherwise, pupils should not bring phones, smartwatches or connected personal devices on school trips or residential visits. We will provide emergency contact arrangements.
Children learn about online safety at school through Computing, PSHE and relationships education. At home, small, regular conversations can help them put that learning into practice. We encourage families to:
agree when devices are put away so there is time for sleep, play, reading and face-to-face conversation;
talk about what children watch, play and share, and who can contact them;
help children understand that photographs, recordings and messages can affect other people’s privacy and feelings;
check age requirements, privacy settings and parental controls before allowing access to apps or games; and
reassure children that they can tell a trusted adult if something online feels upsetting, confusing or unsafe.
There is no need to rush into giving a child a smartphone. Choosing a simple phone for travel, or delaying access to social media and messaging apps, can give children more time to develop the judgement they need to use them well. Each family will make its own decisions about technology at home; we are here to work with you as children learn to use it safely and respectfully.
Pupils must never use a personal device to photograph, film or record another child or adult on the school site or during a school activity. We also ask parents and carers to respect other families’ privacy at school events. Where photography is permitted, please do not publish images or recordings containing other identifiable children online without appropriate consent.
If a pupil has a device when they should not, we will respond in line with the Mobile Phone and Smart Device Policy and our behaviour procedures. A first, low-level incident will normally result in the device being stored safely and returned at the end of the day. Repeated or serious misuse may lead to further action and contact with parents or carers.
We take reasonable steps to store handed-in devices securely, but families are encouraged not to send expensive devices into school. Please see the full policy for details about loss or damage.
If your child needs a device because of a disability, medical need, SEND or another exceptional welfare need, please contact the Headteacher so that an individual arrangement can be considered and agreed in advance.