Pupils & Parents

Phone Free School

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At The King David High School, we're proud to be a mobile phone-free environment. This means that from the moment pupils arrive at school until the end of the school day, mobile phones are not used – including during lessons, breaktimes and lunchtimes. 

How It Works 

We use Yondr pouches to make this happen. Each pupil securely locks their phone in their own Yondr pouch at the start of the day. The pouch stays with them throughout the day, but their phone remains inaccessible. At the end of the school day, pupils unlock their pouches and can use their phones again. 

This simple system means pupils can still bring their phones to school for safety when travelling, but they're not distracted by them during the school day. 

The Positive Impact We've Seen 

Since introducing our mobile phone-free approach, we've noticed significant improvements: 

• More meaningful interactions – Without phones as a distraction, our pupils are talking to each other more, building stronger friendships and developing better social skills. 

• A kinder school community – We've seen a reduction in bullying. This aligns with research showing that mobile phones can be used by some pupils to sexually harass, bully, and control others, and to share harmful content.  

• By removing phones from the school day, we've created a safer, more supportive environment. 

• Better focus on learning – Our pupils are more engaged in their lessons and less distracted. Teachers report that pupils are more present, more focused, and making better progress. 

Supporting All Pupils 

We recognise that some pupils may need exceptions to our policy – for example, pupils with disabilities where a phone is necessary, pupils with medical conditions who use their phones to manage their health, or pupils with specific personal circumstances such as young carers.

We work with families to make appropriate arrangements for these pupils whilst maintaining our overall phone-free environment. 

By creating a phone-free environment, we're helping our pupils to be more present, more connected to each other, and more focused on their education and personal development.