Yondr Pouches

All new students will have to purchase a Yondr pouch for £20 when they first join the school.

New Year 7 students will be given their pouch when they arrive to school in September.

If the pouch is lost or damaged, parents will be required to buy a replacement pouch at a cost of £15. Pouches will be available as a shop item on iPayimpact.

Note: Damage consists of any signs that the physical integrity of the pouch has been compromised, whether intentional or unintentional, as determined by the school or Yondr staff.

We want our students to develop responsibility and resilience. It’s important that they are engaged in their learning and in school life. Parents shouldn’t be contacting their children directly during the school day. If you need to contact your child during the school day, you can contact reception at 01442 217277.

In case of an emergency, we direct our students to safety first, following our school emergency preparedness protocol. Parents will always be contacted by the school in emergencies. If you need to contact your child during the school day, you can contact Reception at 01442 217277. If a student wants to contact home during the school day they can go to Student Services. If a student is unwell then we will contact a parent/carer.

If a student arrives to school late, they will lock their phone in the pouch when they sign in and this will be checked by school staff. If a student needs to leave school early (e.g. for a medical appointment) they can unlock their phone when they sign out at Student Services or unlock their phone as they leave school by the school gate.

Mobile phones must be locked in pouches from 08:30 until 15:10. Students can use their phones onsite before 08:30 (e.g. at Breakfast Club) and after 15:10 (e.g. if they are staying for a Sports Fixture). They can still unlock their pouches at the end of the school day.

The unlocking process is quick and takes under a second per student. While students are still getting used to how to unlock pouches, staff will be on hand with mobile unlocking stations to stop queues forming in the first few weeks. If needed, we will add extra unlocking points.

In Yondr’s experience, this almost never happens. All students funnel past the unlocking stations at the exits, they want their phones back and don’t forget to unlock their pouches. If they do arrive home with a phone in a pouch, they can either come back to school to unlock it or enjoy a phone free evening!

Students are in possession of their phone - in their Yondr pouch - for the entire school day. Students are expected to store the pouch in their bags where it is completely safe. This is similar to our current system and the Yondr pouch adds another layer of protection to the phone.

If a student is caught using their phone inappropriately, it will be confiscated, and the student will receive the appropriate consequence. (It is really important to emphasise that a mobile phone is a prohibited item. The confiscation of phones is to act as a deterrent and to ensure that students are safe. We hope that we don’t have to issue any consequences or confiscate any phones).

In the first instance of inappropriate use, the phone will be confiscated and kept in school for a day. The student can collect the phone at the end of the following school day. The student will be issued with a C3 for (first offence) inappropriate use of a prohibited item. A detention will be issued until 4pm.

In a second instance, the phone will be confiscated and kept in school for a week. Only a parent/carer can collect the phone from their child’s Head of Year following a scheduled meeting. The student will be issued with a C4 for (second offence) inappropriate use of a prohibited item. A detention will be issued until 5pm.

In a third instance, the phone will be confiscated and kept in school for two weeks. Only a parent/carer can collect the phone from a Senior Leader in a scheduled meeting. The student will be issued with a C4 for (third offence) inappropriate use of a prohibited item. Internal Suspension will be issued, 8am – 5pm.

In a fourth instance, the student will be required to hand their phone (in a locked pouch) into a member of staff at the start of each week. It will be kept in school until the end of the week. This process will continue until the end of the school term. The student will receive a C5 and a Fixed Term Suspension (fourth offence) and we may need to consider a permanent exclusion for repeated use of a prohibited item.

Yes. The DfE states that ‘Schools have the power to confiscate mobile phones or similar devices as a disciplinary penalty. The law protects staff from liability in any proceedings brought against them for any loss or damage to items they have confiscated as a sanction, providing they have acted lawfully’.

Headteachers are backed by the DfE to confiscate mobile phones and similar devices for the length of time they deem proportionate. Headteachers, or staff they authorise, have a statutory power to search a student or their possessions where they have reasonable grounds to suspect that the student is in possession of a prohibited item (including Mobile Phones).

We hope that we don’t need to do this and in Yondr’s experience, it is very rare that this happens because students use the pouch system correctly.

Headteachers and staff they authorise have a statutory power to search a pupil or their possessions where they have reasonable grounds to suspect that the pupil may have a prohibited item (more information is available in our behaviour policy).

Screening can help provide reassurance to pupils, staff and parents that the school is taking measures to create a calm, safe and supportive environment.

Schools’ statutory power to make rules on pupil behaviour and their duties as employers in relation to the safety of staff, pupils and visitors enables them to impose a requirement that pupils undergo screening.

We hope that we will not need to do this and in Yondr’s experience, it is very rare that this happens because students use the pouch system correctly.

There may be exceptional circumstances where we would consider making adaptations to this policy for specific pupils. Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable. (For example, a student with Diabetes may need to use their mobile phone throughout the day to track their blood glucose levels. This would be allowed, and adaptations would be made).

Any device that links to a mobile phone should also be placed in the Yondr pouch during the school day.

We have factored that into this system. These subject/faculty areas will explore other ways to ensure that students can use music without needing their phone.

We have factored that into this system. Subject/faculty areas will explore other ways to ensure that students can utilise any online support and resources.