Latest news with #BlackhorsePrimarySchool
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Staggering number of WhatsApps primary school pupil sent in single night revealed, sparking smartphone ban
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A YEAR 6 pupil racked up 9,000 WhatsApps in a single night — prompting their primary school to ban smartphones. The extreme messaging on the child's handset stoked online safety fears, leading parents to agree to a ban. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 A primary school pupil racked up 9,000 WhatsApps in a single night — prompting their school to ban smartphones (stock picture) Credit: Getty The pupil, aged ten or 11, had followed school rules by handing in their phone at the start of the day but forgot to collect it. When their teacher at Blackhorse Primary School in Bristol retrieved it, they saw the thousands of missed messages. Executive headteacher Simon Botten said: 'The teacher picked up the phone, waking it, only to see a notification of 9,000 missed messages from the Year 6 pupil WhatsApp group overnight. 'Nine thousand messages in a 15-hour overnight period.' Staff at the school were so shocked by the level of activity they started a consultation process over whether smartphones should be banned. Supporters pointed to a rise in cyber-bullying, growing phone obsession and predators online. When police were brought in to give a talk on sexual predators and crooks lurking online, shocked parents swung behind the idea — with nearly nine in ten voting in favour of the ban. Children will still be allowed to bring in brick phones for texts and calls only. Mr Botten hopes it will help parents delay buying smartphones and reduce peer pressure in the playground. He added: 'Parents massively overestimate dangers in the real world and massively underestimate dangers in the digital one.'
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Staggering number of WhatsApps primary school pupil sent in single night revealed, sparking smartphone ban
A YEAR 6 pupil racked up 9,000 WhatsApps in a single night — prompting their primary school to ban smartphones. The extreme messaging on the child's handset stoked online safety fears, leading parents to agree to a ban. Advertisement 1 A primary school pupil racked up 9,000 WhatsApps in a single night — prompting their school to ban smartphones (stock picture) Credit: Getty The pupil, aged ten or 11, had followed school rules by handing in their phone at the start of the day but forgot to collect it. When their teacher at Blackhorse Primary School in Bristol retrieved it, they saw the thousands of missed messages. Executive headteacher Simon Botten said: 'The teacher picked up the phone, waking it, only to see a notification of 9,000 missed messages from the Year 6 pupil WhatsApp group overnight. 'Nine thousand messages in a 15-hour overnight period.' Advertisement READ MORE ON PHONE BANS Staff at the school were so shocked by the level of activity they started a consultation process over whether smartphones should be banned. Supporters pointed to a rise in cyber-bullying, growing phone obsession and predators online. When police were brought in to give a talk on sexual predators and crooks lurking online, shocked parents swung behind the idea — with nearly nine in ten voting in favour of the ban. Children will still be allowed to bring in brick phones for texts and calls only. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive Latest Mr Botten hopes it will help parents delay buying smartphones and reduce peer pressure in the playground. He added: 'Parents massively overestimate dangers in the real world and massively underestimate dangers in the digital one.' 'It was so loud,' ex teacher says banning phones transformed school overnight
Wales Online
7 days ago
- Health
- Wales Online
Phones banned after discovery on pupil's device left at school over night
Phones banned after discovery on pupil's device left at school over night Parents have been told smartphones will no longer be allowed Lee Budd and son Jonnie Budd, 8, at Blackhorse Primary School A school has banned phones after a pupil's device was found with 9,000 messages sent in just one night on a school WhatsApp group. Children at Blackhorse Primary School in Bristol will no longer be allowed to bring phones to school after a debate around safety was sparked when a pupil forgot to pick up their mobile at the end of the day. For the past couple of years, pupils had been allowed to bring smartphones to school, but had to hand them in to the teacher during lesson time. On one occasion, a phone was accidently left in the teacher's cupboard overnight - and was returned to the pupil the next day with 9,000 notifications on it. Shocked at the discovery of so much activity on the year six social media group and a potential rise in cyber-bullying, a debate was launched about whether they should be allowed in schools. And writing in a blog, executive headteacher Simon Botten said the decision made to ban them had been backed by the majority of parents, although some had reservations about the move. A similar ban at Blackhorse's sister school Emersons Green is also set to come into force but needs to be ratified by governors. Mr Botten wrote: "'The teacher picked up the phone, waking it, only to see a notification of 9,000 missed messages from the Year 6 pupil WhatsApp group overnight. Nine thousand messages in a 15-hour overnight period. 'After nearly two decades in headship, I have watched this technological phenomenon unfold slowly. At first it was imperceptible: the odd argument via old-fashioned texts, the odd child seeing something online which they shouldn't (always at home). But over the years I have seen the risks grow ever more significant and ever more frequent. Blackhorse Primary School in Bristol Article continues below 'A rise in cyberbullying on WhatsApp; of primary school aged children sending inappropriate images to one another; of children retreating into an online world and seeing less and less of their actual friends in actual parks; of children glued to their phones the moment they are given them back at the end of the day. 'And then something much darker. A rise in predatory strangers approaching children online in their bedrooms whilst their parents watch Eastenders downstairs. Near miss, after near miss. But, the thing is, if you have enough near misses – the chances of a collision rises to 100 per cent. 'So around a year ago, we started a debate at Blackhorse and Emersons Green. We sought to answer a simple question: should our schools become Smartphone free?" Groups of parents were set up to consult on the issue before a wider consultation on the possibility of an outright ban. Mr Botten added: 'The safety argument was fairly understandable: how will I know my child is safe whilst walking to/ from school if I can't contact them?' the executive headteacher said. 'Interestingly, we had several parents who were also police officers attend these discussions and their voices proved very persuasive, arguing that parents massively over-estimate dangers in the real world and massively under-estimate dangers in the digital world. 'We navigated this argument by agreeing that, if a child had to walk to school alone, then they could bring in a simple 'brick' phone (texts and calls only) which could be bought for as little as £10. We also reminded parents that the IMS app on their phone showed when their child was registered each day, and the school would always phone them (as we alway have done) if their child didn't arrive at school. 'The second argument was centred around liberty and the school over-reaching its authority to dictate whether parents bought their child a smartphone. Quite rightly, the parents pointed out (in the nicest possible way) that this was none of the school's business. We countered this argument by explaining that we would not be preventing parents buying their child a smartphone, just preventing them bringing it to school. "We made it clear that this was to support parents who wished to delay buying their child a smartphone by removing the peer pressure which existed on the playground before school where children would flaunt their smartphone prior to handing it in. It made it clear that the school would not tacitly condone smartphone ownership by collecting in children's phones each morning and then handing them back at the end of the day. A child using a mobile phone The school has also brought in specialists from the police to talk to parents about the dangers of children being unsupervised online. Mr Botten added: 'The first step we took was to ask Avon & Somerset Police to lead a workshop for parents on the harms – in terms of sexual and criminal abuse – which they see as a result of predatory individuals approaching young people locally online. 'The parents, well over 100 from Blackhorse alone, sat in stunned silence. By the time the second repeat event at Emersons took place another 50 or so Blackhorse parents attended that one too – as word spread about the plain-talking police officer laying out for parents some of the real-world risks which they saw play out in Bristol every day. 'The police had far greater impact here than any educationalist. By the end there was a feeling in the room that something must be done – although at that point we didn't know what,' he added. The school conducted a survey which showed 87 per cent of parents at the larger Blackhorse Primary School in favour of the outright ban, while at Emersons Green Primary it was a lot more split - 58 to 42 in favour of the ban. Governors at Blackhorse had the ultimate decision, and they voted that the ban is to come into force in September. Governors at Emersons Green are yet to have their vote. Mr Botten added: "Since announcing the result, I have had zero emails from parents complaining about the ban, whereas I have had a good many parents thank the school for taking a stand." Article continues below Speaking outside the school this week, parents welcomed the ban but others questioned the fact the school had previously encouraged children to buy smartphones. Lee Budd, father of Jonnie, eight, said: 'I don't think it's a bad idea at all. Phones consume attention.' A mother of a Year 5 student and a former Blackhorse pupil, now in Year 7 at another school, said: 'It was the school that encouraged us to get a phone for my Year 7 daughter so she could walk to school on her own. 'I feel neutral, really, but I don't see why they need to change the current rule of leaving the phone in a box at the start and end of the day.'
