Purpose

To explain to our school community the Department’s and Bayswater Primary School’s policy requirements and expectations relating to students using mobile phones and other personal mobile devices during school hours.

Scope

This policy applies to:

1. All students at Bayswater Primary School and,
2. Students’ personal mobile phones and other personal mobile devices brought onto school premises during school hours, including recess and lunchtime.

Definitions

A mobile phone is a telephone with access to a cellular (telecommunication) system, with or without a physical connection to a network. For the purpose of this policy, “mobile phone” refers to mobile phones and any device that may connect to or have a similar functionality to a mobile phone such as smart watches.

Policy

Bayswater Primary School understands that students may bring a personal mobile phone to school, particularly if they are travelling independently to and from school.

At Bayswater Primary School:

• Students who choose to bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and securely stored at the office during school hours
• Exceptions to this policy may be applied if certain conditions are met (see below for further information)
• When emergencies occur, parents or carers should reach their child by calling the school’s office.

Personal mobile phone use

In accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones — Student Use Policy issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used at Bayswater Primary School during school hours, including lunchtime and recess, unless an exception has been granted.

Where a student has been granted an exception, the student must use their mobile phone for the purpose for which the exception was granted, and in a safe, ethical and responsible manner.

Secure storage

Mobile phones owned by students at Bayswater Primary School are considered valuable items and are brought to school at the owner’s (student’s or parent/carer’s) risk. Students are encouraged not to bring a mobile phone to school unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Please note that Bayswater Primary School does not have accident insurance for accidental property damage or theft. Students and their parents/carers are encouraged to obtain appropriate insurance for valuable items. Refer to the Department’s Claims for Property Damage and Medical Expenses policy.

Where students bring a mobile phone to school, Bayswater Primary School will provide secure storage. Secure storage is storage that cannot be readily accessed by those without permission to do so. At Bayswater Primary School students are required to hand their mobile devices into the school administration office to be placed in a lockable cupboard.

Enforcement

[This section of the policy should be amended to reflect the rules your school intends to apply in the case where students fail to comply with the policy. An enforcement option must be consistent with the enforcement advice in the Department’s Mobile Phones – Student Use Policy. We also note that the Department’s Weapons — Banning, Searching and Seizing Harmful Items policy explains that the search and seizure powers outlined in this policy do not extend to mobile phones and schools should manage these incidents in accordance with their local policies and procedures. This can include asking the student to hand over the item(s) until the end of the day.

Students who use their personal mobile phones inappropriately at Bayswater Primary School may be issued with consequences consistent with our school’s existing student engagement polices [insert the name of the relevant policy/policies at your school e.g. Student Wellbeing and Engagement and/or Code of Conduct or Bullying policies.]

At Bayswater Primary School, inappropriate use of mobile phones or other mobile personal devices is any use during school hours, unless an exception has been granted, and particularly use of a mobile phone or other mobile personal device:

• in any way that disrupts the learning of others
• to send inappropriate, harassing or threatening messages or phone calls
• to engage in inappropriate social media use including cyber bullying
• to capture video or images of people, including students, teachers and members of the school community without their permission
• to capture video or images in the school toilets, changing rooms, swimming pools and gyms
• during exams and assessments

Exceptions

Exceptions to the policy:

• may be applied during school hours if certain conditions are met, specifically,
  • Health and wellbeing-related exceptions; and
  • Exceptions related to managing risk when they wish to use locally to record this type of information.
• can be granted by the Principal, or by the teacher for that class, in accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones — Student Use Policy.

1. Learning-related exceptions
   

   Specific exception	Documentation
   For students for whom a reasonable adjustment to a learning program is needed because of a disability or learning difficulty	Individual Learning Plan, Individual Education Plan

2. Health and wellbeing-related exceptions
   

   Specific exception	Documentation
   Students with a health condition	Student Health Support Plan
   Students who are Young Carers	A localised student record

Where an exception is granted, the student can only use the mobile phone for the purpose for which it was granted.

Camps, excursions and extracurricular activities

Bayswater Primary School will provide students and their parents and carers with information about items that can or cannot be brought to camps, excursions, special activities and events, including personal mobile phones and other personal mobile devices.

Exclusions

This policy does not apply to

• Out-of-School-Hours Care (OSHC)
• Out-of-school-hours events
• Travelling to and from school

COMMUNICATION

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:

• Available publicly on our school’s website (or insert other online parent, carer, student communication method)
• Included in staff induction processes and annual staff training
• Hard copy available from school administration upon request

Further information and RESOURCES

The following Department of Education policies and guidance are relevant to this policy:

• Child Safe Standards
• Protecting Children — Reporting and Other Legal Obligations
• Managing and Reporting School Incidents
• Reportable Conduct
• Restraint and Seclusion
• Identify child abuse
• Report child abuse in schools (including four critical actions)
• Identify and respond to student sexual offending

The following school policies are also relevant to this policy:

• Child Safety Policy
• Child Safety Code of Conduct
• Statement of Values and School Philosophy
• Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy
• Volunteer Policy
• Duty of Care Policy
• Inclusion and Diversity Policy

POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL