Phones could soon be locked away at schools

MOBILE phones could soon be locked away during the day in every state high school in Cheshire - a move that is being backed by the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey.

- BY GARY PORTER

The new initiative is being led by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Dan Price who wants Cheshire to be the first county in the UK where all state high schools have lockable phone pouches.

Only nine of the county's mainstream high schools have introduced lockable phone pouches. While many schools have 'out of sight' mobile bans, these can be ineffective or difficult to enforce.

According to the Cheshire PCC, schools with lockable pouches are seeing immediate, widespread, positive results in wellbeing and a dramatic reduction in online safeguarding incidents one quoting an 80 per cent reduction in these. In October, Esther Ghey whose daughter Brianna was murdered in 2023 launched a national Phone Free Education campaign in parliament.

Dan Price believes Cheshire can lead in this space by being the first county in the UK to make it happen.