Harris C of E Academy, Rugby
​At Harris Church of England Academy in Warwickshire the introduction of phone pouches has led to an increase in social interaction and playground games, and teachers reporting a more positive atmosphere and better concentration among students.
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Harris CofE Academy in Rugby is a secondary academy with 874 pupils aged 11–16, part of
The Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust.
Head teacher: Roberta Harrison
The problem
Online bullying
An increase in online bullying and harassment following children beyond the school gates into home through their devices.
Sleep deprivation and fatigue
Increased reports of students falling asleep during lessons and reports of children using smartphones during the day. A survey showed 20% of year 10s use their 7+ hours per day.
Internal truancy
Students displaying increasingly addictive behaviours including leaving lessons and hiding to access their phones.
The action
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Phone pouches
Starting in May 2025 students are required to place their phones in a locked pouch at the start of the day. Phones stay with students in their bags, locked until they leave. Unlocking stations are placed around the school. Any phone found not in a pouch is confiscated for 24 hours and must be collected from the school office by a parent or carer.
Parent education
Parents were invited to a smartphone education evening where a local paediatrician spoke about the impact of smartphones, social media and gaming on young people’s physical and mental health and a tech expert talked about addictive-by-design tech and the ease with which young people bypass parental controls.
Student education
School surveyed all years on their smartphone use then invited two local campaigners to give an assembly about the financial transaction in which users download apps for free and pay with their time, the amount of time the average young person is on course to spend on their smartphones in a lifetime (more than ten years) and basic healthy tech habits.
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The impact
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More playground games
Students are playing cards, football and other games during break times and staff have observed more meaningful conversations between young people.
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Reduced internal truancy
Teachers report fewer incidents of students leaving classrooms during lessons.
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Improved concentration
Staff have noted students are more focused, less distracted and better able to engage with classroom learning.
"The transformation has been remarkable. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly supportive of this change, and they’ve adapted far more quickly than we initially anticipated. The positive impact on the whole school community has been significant and I'm genuinely pleased we took this leap of faith and committed to removing the distraction of mobile phones during the school day.”
Roberta Harrison, Headteacher, Harris CofE Academy
Key information
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Local authority: Warwickshire
Policy: Smartphones placed in pouches for the school day
Date policy implemented: May 2025
Number of pupils: 874
Age range: 11–16
Pupils eligible for free school meals: 37.6%