Key Information

We are a mobile phone free school.

This means that everyone in Year 7-11 must a) hand in their phones to be locked away each morning and collected at the end of the day or b) leave them at home. This is a non-negotiable part of our school community. All parents need to recognise this approach and why we do this; we are not the right school for you and your child if you do not support this position.

Why do we do this at Longbenton High School?

1. The evidence supports this. We believe that smartphones are damaging to young people. 

• Better learning: Children at smartphone free schools achieve GCSE results 1-2 grades higher than those where they can access their phones.​
• A stronger culture: in 2024 headteachers told the Department for Education that when phones are removed from the school day, “the whole culture of the school changes for the better.” 
• Less cyber-bullying. A study in Norway found that removing phones from schools reduced bullying by over 40%
• Empowered parents: One poll of parents found that 62% would have felt empowered to delay giving their child a smartphone if devices had been banned in school.
• Improved mental health: When phones are removed from the school day, mental health improves.

• Better behaviour: The majority of schools who have gone smartphone free report a significant improvement in behaviour within weeks.

2. We are part of the Smartphone Free Childhood movement and involved in their Generation Focus campaign. Home | Generation Focus We have endorsed an open letter to the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson calling for a statutory ban on smartphones in schools. We were quoted in The Times in November 2025 in relation to this call for action:

3. We have the power and right to prohibit smartphones in schools. Non-statutory government guidance states that schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones throughout the school - “not only during lessons but break and lunchtimes as well".  The guidance gives headteachers the power to ban smartphones entirely from school premises. It also gives headteachers the option of a "no see, no hear" policy, which we have tried and know doesn't work. Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance also states "It is essential that children are safeguarded from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material. An effective whole school and college approach to online safety empowers a school or college to protect and educate pupils, students, and staff in their use of technology and establishes mechanisms to identify, intervene in, and escalate any concerns where appropriate." We do not feel we can adequately safeguard children if they have access to phones on site.

Common Parent FAQs

My child needs a smartphone to be safe on the journey to and from school. Replacing your child’s smartphone with a "brick" (call and text only) phone - or no phone at all -  will make their journey to school safer.  The number of children who get mugged every day (500 in the UK) has increased significantly over the past 10 years - since children owning a smartphone became commonplace - and the powerful distraction of a smartphone makes children more likely to step out into moving traffic. 20% of secondary school pupils who use their phone while walking have either been hit, or involved in a near miss, with a vehicle. A brick phone allows them to keep in touch in case of emergencies and delays.

​I want to track my child. Tracking devices (such as airtags in urban areas or GPS in rural locations) can track your child if required. However, we would urge parents to consider whether tracking is necessary. A brick phone is more than adequate for emergencies and tracking your children teaches them that the world isn’t safe unless they are constantly monitored. This is arguably not the message we want to be sending our children as it risks making them anxious. 

​I need to be able to contact my child during the school day.  This is still possible through the school office.

My child needs to be able to contact me during the school day. In the case of an emergency children can phone home from the school office. Constant contact with home hinders the development of independence, confidence and problem-solving skills - an essential part of childhood development. Autonomy is healthy! Children need to be able to find solutions to problems themselves without constant contact with a parent.

We need to teach children responsible use of technology to equip them for the digital world We are not anti-technology. We support parents to give their children a smartphone when they are 16 and their brains are better able to handle the challenges of profit-driven algorithms, social media and the risk of dangerous content. Smartphones do not give children any digital literacy. The skills required to use a smartphone are extremely basic - it takes minutes to learn how to navigate TikTok. The challenge is protecting children from addiction, exposure to extreme content and the enormous opportunity cost while their brains are still developing. 

This policy is encroaching on my child’s human rights. A child’s rights must be treated with the utmost respect. Smartphones and social media allow children to be exploited, sent or shown harmful content and filmed or photographed without their consent. A child has a right to be protected from harm, and as adults it is our job to ensure that this happens. Allowing children unsupervised access to the internet, which lays them open to inappropriate content, exploitation and grooming, does not respect their rights. 

My child’s smartphone is safe - it’s got parental controls. A recent Parentkind survey shows that 47% of young people with parental controls on their smartphones are bypassing them. 71% of children with parental controls in place have still experienced harm online.  Even if parental controls were watertight it is impossible to guarantee every smartphone is adequately locked down. Every child is only as safe as the least safe phone. 

My child has diabetes and needs a phone to monitor their blood sugar levels. Where a phone is being used as a medical device it will of course be permitted. 

My child has special educational needs and needs a phone.  If you feel there are exceptional circumstances that require your child to use their mobile phone during the school day, please let us know and we will provide access arrangements/reasonable adjustments where appropriate. 

Legislation around equalities, transparency and accountability requires all schools to publish a direct link from their websites to the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Summary dedicated to their school. The Financial Benchmarking and Insights Summary replaces Benchmarking Report Cards. This change is part of the recent improvements to the DfE’s financial benchmarking services.

The link for our school is below:

https://financial-benchmarking-and-insights-tool.education.gov.uk/school/108645

All Local Authority-maintained schools must publish annually on their websites the number of individuals (if any) earning over £100k a year.

• Legal Requirement: Schools are legally obligated to publish salary information for staff earning over £100,000 annually.

• Transparency: This requirement aims to improve financial transparency within schools.

• Website Publication: The information must be published on the school's website.

• Banded Information: The number of individuals earning over £100,000 must be published in bands of £10,000.

Please see below the numbers of employees earning over £100,000 per annum at this school:

Gross Salary	Number of Employees
£100,000 - £110,000	1
£110,000 - £120,000	0
£120,000 - £130,000	0

Equality Information and Objectives

Our Commitment

Longbenton High School is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. We aim to ensure that all members of our school community — pupils, staff, parents, and visitors — are treated fairly, with respect and dignity, and that we actively eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

We welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) to have due regard to the need to:

1. Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

2. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

3. Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

How We Comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty

At Longbenton High School, we:

• Collect, monitor and analyse pupil achievement, attendance and behaviour data by key groups (e.g. SEND, gender, ethnicity, disadvantage) to identify and address any gaps.

• Actively promote equality and inclusion through our curriculum, assemblies, ethos, and enrichment activities.

• Ensure recruitment, professional development, and promotion processes are fair and inclusive.

• Make reasonable adjustments for pupils, staff, and visitors with disabilities.

• Regularly review policies (including behaviour, anti-bullying, and curriculum policies) to ensure they meet equality requirements.

• Provide staff and governor training on equality, inclusion, and unconscious bias.

This information is reviewed and updated annually in line with statutory requirements.

Equality Objectives (2024–2028)

1. Curriculum Representation – Ensure that the curriculum, assemblies and displays reflect and celebrate diversity in modern Britain and represent the school’s community.

2. Reducing Gaps in Outcomes – Continue to monitor and close attainment and progress gaps for pupils with SEND, those eligible for Pupil Premium, and other vulnerable groups.

3. Inclusive Environment – Ensure that the physical environment, policies, and culture support full participation and belonging for all pupils, including those with disabilities or long-term health needs.

4. Community and Staff Engagement – Strengthen communication and consultation with pupils, parents and staff on equality issues through surveys and pupil voice.

These objectives will be reviewed every four years, with progress reported annually to the Governing Body.