Cardiff school bans mobile phones after successful trial

A Cardiff secondary school is introducing a complete mobile phone ban after a trial showed pupils without their devices were talking to each other more.

Mary Immaculate High will require all pupils to lock their phones in pouches at the start of each day when they return after half term, headteacher Huw Powell has announced.

The move follows a successful trial with years seven and eight, where staff noticed younger pupils conversed more at break and lunch times without their phones.

“We always had a partial ban but pupils have been allowed to use their phones at break and lunch. We have been trialling pouches,” Mr Powell told WalesOnline. “The phones stay in the pouch locked up and they leave them there and take them back at the end of the day.”

He added: “Sometimes phones can cause issue in schools. It’s also about communication and young people talking to each other instead of being on their phones. In the trial with years seven and eight we found pupils talking more and reading instead of being on their phones at break and lunch.”

The decision comes after consultation with pupils and parents, with a majority of parents supporting the idea.

Cardiff West Community High has already seen dramatic results from its phone ban introduced in summer 2024, including a 60% fall in exclusions, attendance rising from 80% to 83%, and a 72% reduction in fights. 📊

Meanwhile, secondary school headteachers in Monmouthshire are asking parents not to let their children have smartphones until they’re 14, responding to concerns about bad behaviour and violence linked to social media.

The Welsh Government has set up a mobile phone forum to look at guidance for schools following warnings from teaching union NEU Cymru about phones contributing to rising problems of violence and disengagement.