Latest news with #QueensferryHighSchool
The National
13-05-2025
- General
- The National
Moray Council to ban mobile phones in schools: All to know
The local authority is the second one to approve a blanket ban on mobile phones in school classrooms after Perth and Kinross in April. The new approach will take effect from August 2025, as will the policy across Perth and Kinross, and follows a consultation involving parents, carers, pupils and school staff. The result of the survey, that received 3283 responses, was 73% of respondents in favour of the ban. In primary schools, mobiles and personal devices will not be allowed in school, unless needed for medical reasons. READ MORE: Almost 50 homes could be built on ex-festival site near BBC HQ in Glasgow In Moray's secondary schools, students will need to keep phones switched off and out of sight during the school day, except when needed for health purposes. It comes as two schools in Edinburgh are piloting a phone-free policy in what is said to be a Scottish first in an effort to improve focus and mental health among pupils. Portobello High School and Queensferry High School in Edinburgh have introduced magnetic, lockable pouches for the devices in an attempt to curb distractions in class. Chair of Moray Council's education, communities and leisure services committee, councillor Kathleen Robertson, said: 'We recognise that mobile devices are a part of everyday life and can enhance learning and teaching. But we also recognise the risks associated with young people bringing their devices into school. Namely bullying and harassment with inappropriate use detracting from learning. 'We aspire for our schools to be places where pupils can focus, learn, and feel supported and guidance is being provided to Head Teachers to assist them to introduce this new approach while promoting positive relationships and behaviour.' A breakdown of the survey data shows that 1659 parents/carers agreed with the ban terms, while 353 disagreed. 334 pupils agreed and 448 disagreed with 402 staff for the move and 87 against it. Key themes from the open comment section included strong support for the guidance due to issues like mobile phone distractions, concerns about enforcement practicality, and the need for exceptions for medical reasons. Respondents expressed mixed opinions on whether a complete ban was necessary, suggesting phones should be allowed during breaks and for safety, walking to and from school. Overall, the feedback highlighted the importance of clear enforcement guidelines, alternative technology provision, and safety considerations for pupils. Head Teachers will now develop local policies, aligned to their positive relationship policies, with more information being provided to parents and carers, pupils and staff before the start of the autumn term in August.
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Edinburgh schools pilot phone-free policy using 'lockable pouches'
Portobello High School and Queensferry High School in Edinburgh will introduce magnetic, lockable pouches for the devices in an attempt to curb distractions in class. Two schools in Edinburgh are piloting a phone-free policy in what is said to be a Scottish first in an effort to improve focus and mental health among pupils. Portobello High School and Queensferry High School in Edinburgh will introduce magnetic, lockable pouches for the devices in an attempt to curb distractions in class. It is also hoped the pouches, created by US company Yondr, will improve pupils' moods, encourage less screentime, and increase face-to-face interaction. Portobello will roll out the pouches across the campus on Wednesday, with Queensferry due to follow suit on Wednesday 14. The magnetically-locked pouches with phones inside will remain in each pupil's possession, meaning they need not worry about losing their devices or leaving them in the hands of school staff. All pupils from S1-S6 will be required to participate, and can access their devices back at the end of the school day by tapping the phone on one of the unlocking bases in the school. It comes after an extensive consultation period with parents and carers, with focus groups meeting to discuss the policy. Research found that 86% of parents and carers at Portobello supported the introduction of the new policy. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Councillor Joan Griffiths, convener for education, children and families at Edinburgh City Council, said: "I'm pleased to see Edinburgh schools leading the way in introducing a mobile-phone free school environment. "Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners' attention and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive thing for our young people. "I know that schools across Edinburgh, and indeed the country, are exploring ways to manage mobile phone use, including restricting phone use during the school day. "The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession. We hope that this new policy will increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and help improve wellbeing."
STV News
07-05-2025
- General
- STV News
Two Edinburgh schools to pilot phone-free policy using lockable pouches
Two schools in Edinburgh are piloting a phone-free policy in what is said to be a Scottish first in an effort to improve focus and mental health among pupils. Portobello High School and Queensferry High School in Edinburgh will introduce magnetic, lockable pouches for the devices in an attempt to curb distractions in class. It is also hoped the pouches, created by US company Yondr, will improve pupils' moods, encourage less screentime, and increase face-to-face interaction. Portobello will roll out the pouches across the campus on Wednesday, with Queensferry due to follow suit on Wednesday 14. The magnetically-locked pouches with phones inside will remain in each pupil's possession, meaning they need not worry about losing their devices or leaving them in the hands of school staff. All pupils from S1-S6 will be required to participate, and can access their devices back at the end of the school day by tapping the phone on one of the unlocking bases in the school. It comes after an extensive consultation period with parents and carers, with focus groups meeting to discuss the policy. Research found that 86% of parents and carers at Portobello supported the introduction of the new policy. Councillor Joan Griffiths, convener for education, children and families at Edinburgh City Council, said: 'I'm pleased to see Edinburgh schools leading the way in introducing a mobile-phone free school environment. 'Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners' attention and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive thing for our young people. 'I know that schools across Edinburgh, and indeed the country, are exploring ways to manage mobile phone use, including restricting phone use during the school day. 'The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession. We hope that this new policy will increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and help improve wellbeing.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
07-05-2025
- General
- The National
Edinburgh high schools ban mobile phones in Scottish first
Portobello High School and Queensferry High School are the first secondary schools in Scotland to completely ban the use of mobile phones amongst pupils. The ban aims to reduce distractions and improve pupil mental health, as well as teach screen-time management and encourage face-to-face interaction. All pupils from S1 to S6 will have their phones locked in Yondr pouches during the school day. Portobello High School's ban will come into action this Wednesday, with Queensferry High School following suit on May 14 Councillor Joan Griffiths, the education, children and families convener said: 'We hope this new policy will increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and improve wellbeing.' She continued: 'Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners' attention and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive for our young people. 'The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession.' Parents and carers met in a focus group over a six-month period to discuss a plan, in which 86% of parents and carers of Portobello High School pupils supported the scheme. Research from the OECD discovered 60% of pupils were distracted when a classmate was using a phone. Another related study found that pupils take 20 minutes to refocus on class material after engaging in a non-academic distraction. Other schools across the UK have either begun banning mobile phones or have completely phased them out. Stanway School in Colchester had a group of Year 8 (S2) students hand over their phones for three weeks. The Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT) also began phasing out phone access for its 35,000 pupils.
Scotsman
07-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Edinburgh schools first in Scotland to pilot a phone-free policy during the school day
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Two Edinburgh schools are to be the first in Scotland to introduce lockable pouches for mobile phones during the school day as they pilot a phone-free policy. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Portobello High School and Queensferry High School will take part in the pilot scheme, with Portobello High becoming phone-free from today, Wednesday, May 7, and Queensferry High School introducing the policy on May 14- with young people required to store their phones in pouches at the start of each school day. All learners from S1 to S6 will be responsible for storing mobile phones in secure and lockable Yondr pouches during the school day. The storage pouches are locked and un-locked magnetically, with the pouches remaining in the pupils' possession throughout the school day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The phone-free policy has been introduced following extensive engagement with pupils and parents and carers over a six-month period, with focus groups meeting to discuss the policy and 86 per cent of parents and carers of children attending Portobello High School positively supporting the introduction of the policy. All learners from S1 to S6 will be responsible for storing mobile phones in secure and lockable Yondr pouches during the school day. | National World/ John Devlin Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: 'I'm pleased to see Edinburgh schools leading the way in introducing a mobile-phone free school environment. Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners' attention and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive thing for our young people. 'I know that schools across Edinburgh, and indeed the country, are exploring ways to manage mobile phone use, including restricting phone use during the school day. The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We hope that this new policy will increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and help improve wellbeing.' It is hoped that the new phone-free policy will protect the learning environment, encouraging young people to stay in class and focused on learning without the distraction of checking or responding to a notification on a phone. Research shows that a phone free school environment positively impacts young people's mental health and wellbeing, both in school and at-home, encouraging a healthier approach to managing time online and increasing face-to-face interaction.
