Mobile Phone Policy
Approved By: Principal
Date of Review Required: October 2027
TC plans to review this every 12 months
Page Contents
Purpose, Scope, Definitions
Purpose
To explain to our school community the Department’s and Templestowe College’s policy requirements and expectations relating to students using mobile phones during school hours.
Scope
This policy applies to:
All students at Templestowe College and,
Students’ personal mobile phones brought onto school premises during school hours, including recess and lunchtime.
Definitions
A mobile phone is a telephone with access to a cellular (telecommunication) system, with or without a physical connection to a network.
Policy
Templestowe College understands that students may bring a personal mobile phone to school, particularly if they are travelling independently to and from school.
At Templestowe College:
Students who choose to bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and securely stored during school hours
Exceptions to this policy may be applied if certain conditions are met (see below for further information)
When emergencies occur, parents or carers should reach their child by calling the school’s office.
Personal mobile phone use
In accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones — Student Use Policy issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used at Templestowe College during school hours, including lunchtime and recess, unless an exception has been granted.
Where a student has been granted an exception, the student must use their mobile phone for the purpose for which the exception was granted, and in a safe, ethical and responsible manner.
Secure storage
Mobile phones owned by students at Templestowe College are considered valuable items and are brought to school at the owner’s (student’s or parent/carer’s) risk. Students are encouraged not to bring a mobile phone to school unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Please note that Templestowe College does not have accident insurance for accidental property damage or theft. Students and their parents/carers are encouraged to obtain appropriate insurance for valuable items. Refer to the Departments Personal Goods Policy for more information.
Where students bring a mobile phone to school, Templestowe College will provide secure storage. Secure storage is storage that cannot be readily accessed by those without permission to do so. At Templestowe College, students are required to store their phones either in their locker, a mobile phone locker or in their bag. If a phone is being stored either in a CET or AP office, it will be done so in a lockable safe.
Enforcement
Students who use their personal mobile phones inappropriately at Templestowe College may be issued with consequences consistent with our school’s existing student engagement polices.
Should this happen within a classroom or learning setting (including the Hub or S Wing):
First Incident
Member of staff to remind student of policy
Student to turn off their mobile phone
Student to put phone away in bag or locker, not in pocket or anywhere else
Member of staff to remind student that if a second time they will have to be timed out and they lose their phone for the rest of the day
Second Incident
Staff member to time out student as per the timeout policy. Parents notified via Compass notification made by classroom teacher as per timeout policy.
Student will leave phone with collecting AP or CET member to collect at the end of the day
The member of staff should be prepared that the time out could be short time out. Should the student hand their phone over quickly and be prepared for learning they may return to the class at the discretion of the collecting AP or CET
An Assistant Principal will meet with the relevant staff member to debrief with them and discuss the next steps, with a view to having a restorative conversation with the student.
If student refuses to hand over phone to AP or CET:
1-day suspension as per DE policy on refusing to follow a reasonable instruction. Parents will be called to collect the student and take home.
Should this happen outside of a classroom setting:
Member of staff to remind student of policy
Staff member to support the Student to turn off their mobile phone
Student to put phone away in bag or locker, not in pocket or anywhere else.
a. If no bag, phone can be left with the relevant staff member to be collected from the CET or AP office at the end of the day, or can be put away elsewhere that is not in a pocket
Should a student refuse to follow the request of the member of staff or not respond in a manner in line with our community statement of values:
a. The member of staff should call the emergency line.
b. The student will go with the relieving member of staff to discuss the process and their phone will be kept in either the CET or AP office for the rest of the day.
Should the student refuse to follow step 4:
a. Parents will be called to collect the student
b. 1 day suspension in line with DE policy for refusing to follow reasonable instructions
If a Student Takes a Photo or Films A Member of the Community Without their Permission
This is considered a major breach of our policy and of the trust within the school. This would result in a parent meeting with the possible consequence of the student needing to hand their phone in to the Community teams or Assistant Principal Office each day for a period as discussed in the parent meeting.
At Templestowe College inappropriate use of mobile phones is any use during school hours, unless an exception has been granted, and particularly use of a mobile phone:
in any way that disrupts the learning of others
to send inappropriate, harassing or threatening messages or phone calls
to engage in inappropriate social media use including cyber bullying
to capture video or images of people, including students, teachers and members of the school community without their permission
to capture video or images in the school toilets, changing rooms, swimming pools and gyms
during exams and assessments
Exceptions
Exceptions to the policy:
may be applied during school hours if certain conditions are met, specifically,
Health and wellbeing-related exceptions; and
Exceptions related to managing risk when students are offsite.
can be granted by the Principal, or by the teacher for that class, in accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones — Student Use Policy.
The three categories of exceptions allowed under the Department’s Mobile Phones — Student Use Policy are:
1. Learning-related exceptions
| Specific exception | Documentation |
|---|---|
| For specific learning activities (class-based exception) | Curriculum brief, Scope and Sequence. Recorded in Compass in advance of the lesson. All staff will be made aware that the exemption is in place. Approval from the Assistant Principal – learning is required. |
| For students for whom a reasonable adjustment to a learning program is needed because of a disability or learning difficulty | Individual Learning Plan, Individual Education Plan A localised student record held on Compass. This will be reviewed with students at the beginning of each year with expectations reiterated. |
2. Health and wellbeing-related exceptions
| Specific exception | Documentation |
|---|---|
| Students with a health condition | Student Health Support Plan co-created by the school and family. No exemption will be given that means that students will be able to have their phone out of their bag. |
| Students who are Young Carers | A localised student record stored on compass. No exemption will be given that means that students will be able to have their phone out of their bag. |
3. Exceptions related to managing risk when students are offsite
| Specific exception | Documentation |
|---|---|
| Travelling to and from excursions | Risk assessment planning documentation |
| Students on excursions and camps | Risk assessment planning documentation |
| When students are offsite (not on school grounds) and unsupervised with parental permission | Risk assessment planning documentation |
| Students with a dual enrolment or who need to undertake intercampus travel | Risk assessment planning documentation |
Where an exception is granted, the student can only use the mobile phone for the purpose for which it was granted.
Camps, excursions and extracurricular activities
Templestowe College will provide students and their parents and carers with information about items that can or cannot be brought to camps, excursions, special activities and events, including personal mobile phones.
Exclusions
This policy does not apply to
Out-of-school-hours events
Travelling to and from school
Wearable devices
iPads and all other personal devices
Students undertaking workplace learning activities, e.g. work experience
Students who are undertaking VET off site from Templestowe College
Communication of this policy
This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:
Available publicly on the school website
Included in staff induction processes and staff training
Included in transition correspondence to new families
Discussed at staff briefings/meetings as required
Discussed at parent information nights/sessions as required
Annually referenced in Next Week @TC
Hard copy available from school administration upon request
Further information and resources
The Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):
Related TC Policies: