30 Schools, Zero Phones, Police Boss Funds the Great Smartphone Shutdown

A police and crime commissioner (PCC) has selected 30 schools across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to receive funding for measures aimed at keeping pupils phones stored away during the school day. Secondary schools in the three counties will receive financial support for solutions such as secure lockers and phone pouches, as schools implement measures designed to limit smartphone use during school hours. The £255,000 Phone-Free Schools Fund was announced in June by Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber. He said the initiative was intended not only to reduce distractions in classrooms but also to lower the risk of issues such as anti-social behaviour and exploitation. A ban on smartphones in schools in England came into force on 29 June, with individual schools and academy trusts responsible for ensuring that pupils are phone-free throughout the school day. Barber said his fund was financed through proceed from the sale of property seized from criminals where the items could not be returned to their rightful owners. The first funded measures are expected to be introduced during the current school term. Schools receiving funding The 30 schools selected for the scheme are- Aylesbury Vale Academy, Buckinghamshire Baylis Court School, Berkshire Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School, Berkshire Dedworth Middle School, Berkshire Denefield School, Berkshire Glebe Farm All Through School, Milton Keynes Gosford Hill School, Oxfordshire Holyport College, Berkshire Kents Hill Park School, Milton Keynes Kings Academy Binfield, Berkshire Langley Grammar School, Berkshire Lord Williams School, Oxfordshire Maiden Erlegh School, Earley, Berkshire Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge, Sonning Common, Oxfordshire Maiden Erlegh School, Reading, Berkshire Meadowbrook College, Oxfordshire Oakbank School, Berkshire Pebble Brook School, Buckinghamshire Reading Girls School, Berkshire River Academy, Berkshire Shenley Brook End School, Milton Keynes Slough and Eton CofE Business and Enterprise College, Berkshire St Edward Royal Free Middle School, Berkshire The Cottesloe School, Buckinghamshire The Grange School, Buckinghamshire The Oxford Academy, Oxfordshire The Wren School, Berkshire UTC Reading, Berkshire Wexham School, Berkshire Wheatley Park School, Oxfordshire The initiative reflect a wider effort by schools and authorities to establish clearer boundaries around smartphone use during the school day. While the measures are primarily intended to support phone free school environments, the PCC has also linked the policy to broader concern around pupil safety and potential exposure to harmful online or offline activity.