School says students ‘nicer’ after phones were banned

By Isobel Williams

Welcome to the school where high-flying students are "nicer" - because mobile phones are banned.

Excelsior Academy in Hackney, east London, saw average A-Level results jump by an entire grade from a C to a B in just one year, according to government statistics.

The improvement follows a complete ban on phones in the sixth form, with mobiles confiscated for up to a week if they are caught being used during class time.

Omar Deria, 45, from Newham, joined as headteacher in 2022 and said that his first impression of the school was that students were absorbed by their phones.

Since the rule was brought in around September last year, the head claims his students are friendlier and revising more.

They have also introduced a smart new dress code, with students required to wear business attire.

He said, “When I first started, the place was overrun with mobile phones. On my first day the first thing that I noticed was students glued to their phones scrolling.

“If I am honest, it was a struggle at first. It is the most important thing in their lives and they struggle when it is taken.

“They may not be happy in the moment, but on results day they thank us.

“The impact in the classroom has been nothing short of miraculous. You are dealing with completely different people, their personalities are different.

“They are more articulate, chattier, nicer, more engaged not just with the learning but with other people in general.”

If a student is caught with their phone out during school time, then it will be taken and locked in a safe, with the parents not able to collect it until the next Thursday.

This means that if a student’s phone is confiscated on a Thursday then they must wait an entire week to collect it again.

Deria says that one of the reasons for the improvement in student behaviour is distancing them from social media - which he claims causes most of the school’s problems.

He added: “Around 90 percent of problems we deal with come from online. It gets brought into school and then that takes up a lot of our time.

“Kids have a completely different personality online. There are so many truly lovely students who go online and become unrecognisable.

“If we can ban phones, then we can reduce peer-on-peer abuse and sexual harassment. If mobile phones are not banned in your school, then they are asking for trouble.

“When I confiscate a phone and see the look on a student's face, it really makes me worry about the way things are.”

Year 12 students say they are happy with the decision, with one girl even claiming she no longer bothers to bring her phone with her at all.

Cilen Garip, 17, who hopes to study law at university, said: “I think it has been a great thing. It really encourages us to learn.

“Students were always on their phone in their free time, and it distracted not only them but the people around them.

“They would show a funny video around and it would distract the whole room.

“Now we can use that time to revise, and I think we get a lot more done. I don’t even bother bringing my phone in anymore. I don’t miss it.”

Hamz Hussain, 16, who wishes to study engineering at university said: “It has really helped me to focus and revise more.

“Sometimes I miss it but that makes me realise how distracting they can be.

“Since it started in September, I have found myself revising way more.

“It means that all our work is finished in school and we can enjoy free time more at home. I appreciate having my phone in the evening more now that it is gone in the daytime.”

Another student, Falma Hashi, said: “Since we can’t have mobile phones at school, I have become a lot more open to group social activities.

“Yesterday we played some card games and just talked rather than all sitting alone on our phones, head down not talking.

“When you are on your phone you spend a lot of time comparing yourself to people who seem to have this amazing life.

“When you are with your peers you don’t do that as much. You see, everyone is really the same as you, without the filters.”