Phone and shouting ban 'transforms' school plagued by fights

Fights arranged in school via social media, then filmed and shared online.

Pupils leaving lessons upset about social media comments.

These were regular occurrences at Cardiff West Community High School - one of the most "challenged" schools in Wales - until mobile phones were banned as part of a range of measures introduced to tackle bad behaviour.

"Almost overnight, exclusions [for violence] reduced," said head teacher Mike Tate, who introduced the ban at the secondary school in Ely, Cardiff, last summer.

Mr Tate, who also banned shouting, said internal truancy - when pupils are in school but not lessons - was now "almost nil" and there was better focus in classrooms.

When Mr Tate became the head teacher of Cardiff West two years ago, he wanted to understand what was causing the behavioural problems at the school.

The issues included pupils bunking off lessons, being aggressive and fighting due to social media spats.

Deputy head teacher Kathryn Stevens said the problems "permeated every part of the school day".

"We were having fights at lunchtime, at break time. We were having children walking out of lessons because they were seeing messages popping up and it was causing them distress," Ms Stevens said.

Mr Tate said pupils would "come out of class because they would get a message to go and see another pupil".

"We could see that these were big issues," he added.

Specific measures were introduced to target the problems, including a ban on phones for pupils, staff and visitors during the school day which was implemented last summer.

Mr Tate said it would be "naive" to claim fights had been eradicated completely, but said pupil exclusions for violence had fallen by 72% since the ban was introduced.

He said banning phones had also addressed the problem of "pupils texting one another to meet in the toilets, or be out of lessons", leading to a reduction in internal truancy.

"It's transformed behaviour," added Ms Stevens.

The Welsh government has resisted a national policy to ban mobile phones in schools, but said it was working with schools "to ensure they have policies and resources to reduce the negative impacts of mobile phones and promote learning".

Banning phones is not the only change the school has made.

Mr Tate said a big emphasis had been placed on staff building respectful relationships with pupils and not raising their voices.

"We are a no shout school. There's no shouting in the school," said Ms Stevens.

"You won't see potentially those old fashioned school days of children being berated by staff or shouting.

"We always try to talk with children and we always try to start conversations with: 'Is everything OK":[]}