Phones locked away: Outwood Grange Academy introduces new school-day smartphone rules
Pupils at Outwood Grange Academy will have their smartphones locked away throughout the school day as the school strengthens its phone-free policy.
From Monday, October 5, pupils will place their phones into secure, lockable Yondr pouches when they arrive at school.
The devices will remain secured until the end of the school day, enabling them to fully engage in learning, social interaction and wider school life without distraction.
The move is part of a new partnership between the academy and Yondr, aimed at creating a more consistent approach to smartphone use across the school.
The academy says the change will help pupils concentrate on their lessons, spend more time interacting face-to-face and take part more fully in school life — while reducing the amount of time staff spend dealing with mobile phone use.
Cara Ackroyd, executive principal at Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT), said the school had always operated as a phone-free environment but was now strengthening its approach in line with the latest Department for Education guidance.
“Our schools have always been phone-free environments, but in line with the latest Department for Education guidance, we are strengthening our approach,” she said.
“We wanted a clear, consistent solution that works seamlessly across our whole school community, for staff, pupils, and parents alike.”
She said the Yondr partnership would reinforce the school’s existing expectations with a practical system.
“Our aim remains simple: to maintain a focused environment where pupils can participate fully in lessons, build stronger relationships with those around them, and stay safe,” she said.
“By removing digital distractions during the school day, we are giving pupils the space to be present, engage deeply, and thrive, while allowing our teachers to focus on teaching.”
Rather than handing their phones over to staff, pupils will keep them with them in specially designed Yondr pouches.
The pouches are locked when pupils arrive and remain secured throughout the school day. They are then unlocked at the end of the day, allowing pupils to use their phones once they leave school.
Yondr says its system is currently used by more than three million pupils worldwide, with schools across the UK, Europe and the United States adopting the approach.