At Cardinal Newman students do not need smartphones, and we strongly encourage parents and carers to postpone purchasing one for their child for as long as possible. As our school is a phone-free environment, any student who brings a mobile phone (or similar device) will be required to store it in a Yondr Pouch. These pouches will be available for purchase at our Transition events in July.
Mobile phones are a common part of life in modern Britain, but we’ve found that the dependence students have on their devices is negatively impacting both their education and emotional well-being. The government has also recognised this and issued guidance that limits mobile phone use during the school day.
At Cardinal Newman Catholic School (CNCS), we believe that students benefit from a phone-free environment. This helps them stay focused and encourages face-to-face communication. To support this, we have implemented a Yondr pouch system, which is already in use at over 1,500 schools. Local schools that have adopted Yondr pouches have seen positive feedback from students and improved results.
Phones can be useful, but we’ve seen that when students aren’t distracted by their devices, their learning and social behaviour improve. With Yondr pouches, students place their phones in a secure pouch when they arrive at school. The pouch stays locked until the end of the day, when students can unlock and use their phones.
Students are responsible for bringing their Yondr pouch to and from school each day. Yondr recently surveyed over 900 schools, and the results showed:
65% of schools saw an improvement in academic performance
74% saw an improvement in student behaviour
83% saw an increase in student engagement in the classroom
The Yondr system is in place for students in Year 7 to Year 11.
Mobile phones and wireless headphones* are not to be used during school hours. If a student brings a phone, they must have their own Yondr pouch and use it properly. It’s each student’s responsibility to bring their pouch to school every day and lock their phone inside.
(*Note: headphones may only be used for music lessons.)
**Smartwatches are allowed, but they must not be connected to a phone.