Card games replace smartphones after school ban

Card games replace phones after school ban5 days agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJosh Sandiford,West MidlandsandVic Minett,BBC CWRJonathan Coates / WMG Academy CoventryAdele Wallis says the atmosphere at the school "transformed in one week"Pupils at a school that has banned smartphones are returning to card games and conversations following the move, according to their head teacher.WMG Academy in Coventry introduced its phone-free policy after the May half-term, barring students from bringing them or any other smart technology on to the site.Associate principal Adele Wallis said that, despite expecting resistance from students aged 14 to 19, she had largely found the opposite."There seems to be a return to socialisation," she told BBC CWR. "The atmosphere has transformed in one week."Wallis said their decision followed consultation with their governors, trustees, parents and students."You've got people bringing in Uno and cards and playing games and talking to each other," she added about the ban's impact."They're [saying] it's quite nice not to have the phone and to have that breather."I thought there was going to be a bigger pushback but it hasn't, it's gone down remarkably well."WMG Academy CoventryWMG Academy in Coventry banned smartphones from the school siteStudents who need a phone for their commute are allowed to bring a basic "brick" phone, according to the school policy, but this must be stored in a locker during the day.Sixth form students, meanwhile, are permitted to use smartphones in designated areas only."There's overwhelming national evidence about the negative impact of smartphones on mental health [and] anxiety," Wallis explained."Many of our low-level behaviour issues are because they've got this over stimulation and the phone is just pinging constantly."We wanted to establish a distraction-free learning environment wh...