A BURNTWOOD school has confirmed new measures to prevent mobile phone use in the classroom.
Chase Terrace Academy has told parents that new lockable pouches will be given to students as part of efforts to adhere to new Government legislation.
Pupils will need to keep their phones in them throughout the day.
A spokesperson for the school said:
"The UK Government has confirmed that under new legislation all schools in England will be required by law to be mobile phone free during the school day. Evidence shows that a 'not seen, not heard' approach is not sufficient to create a genuinely phone-free environment.
"To support focused learning and promote the mental wellbeing of our students, it is essential that we minimise distractions and maintain clear expectations.
"We will be introducing a new system to ensure students do not have access to their devices during the school day, while still allowing them to bring their phones for reassurance when travelling to and from school.
"Each student will be issued with a lockable phone pouch, which will be assigned to them individually and must be kept safe.
"Sixth form students will continue to be permitted to use their mobile phones and devices within the designated sixth form area, but not elsewhere in the main school building."
The school said it hoped the benefits of the pouches being introduced would be evident.
"We are confident this approach will have a positive impact on our school community and support a calm, focused learning environment."
