New mobile phone protocol – Secondary School

From Term 3, 2025 all areas of the Secondary School will be phone free.

Students are expected to keep their phones turned off and locked in their lockers throughout the school day.

The aim of this protocol is to:

• reduce distractions
• create greater opportunities for social interaction and physical activity during the school day

If your call is urgent, you should call reception:

Urwin Centre (Years 7-8): 8591 2260

St Andrew’s end (Years 9-12): 8591 2200

If your call is not urgent, you can email your son using his Brighton Grammar email address or text him and he can view your message at the end of the day.

If your son needs to contact you during the day, he is welcome to email you or use the phones at Reception or Student Services.

If your son is sick, he should go to the sick bay and you will be contacted by the School.

Of course, students who need their phones for medical reasons will still be able to carry their phones with them.

Exemptions to the protocol will be decided on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with families. Please contact your son’s tutor should you have any concerns.

Your son will not be permitted to buy food from the canteen with their phone. 

Year 7-8 will still order their lunches from the canteen (www.flexischools.com.au).

Years 9-12 will need to bring a card or cash to purchase from the canteen. Pre-paid debit cards and lunch pre-ordering are both available through the flexischools app (www.flexischools.com.au).  

We have very little theft at BGS however, boys should ensure that their lockers are locked.

If he does not have a lock, we recommend buying the Master Lock 40mm Brass Combination Lock available at Bunnings or online. 

In the unlikely event that a student’s phone is stolen from an unlocked locker, the School will investigate but will not take responsibility.

We recommend that students have a printout of their timetable in their Student Planner. They should check their timetable on Schoolbox at the beginning of the day. Room changes will also be displayed on the Vivi screens in classrooms.

Breaking habits and changing behaviour takes time. There are many groups and clubs that operate at lunchtime. These are communicated on Schoolbox. The Annandale Library has board games available at lunchtime.

If you are worried about the social impact of this protocol on your son, please contact your son’s tutor or Head of House.

At this stage, smart watches are still allowed to be worn, however, boys should ensure notifications and alerts are switched off during the school day.

If your son breaches the mobile phone protocol, the phone will be confiscated and held at Student Services until the end of the day when your son can retrieve his phone.

All breaches are recorded on the student’s record. If a student has multiple breaches, his parents will be notified and appropriate sanctions will be issued.

Our recent school survey showed that over 91% of parents supported the protocol. This protocol will work best if we all work together to support the boys.

Please reassure your son that if he needs to speak to you during the school day, he can use the phones at Reception or Student Services.

If you need to get in contact with him, you should call reception:

Urwin Centre (Years 7-8): 8591 2260

St Andrew’s end (Years 9-12): 8591 2200

All boys need to ensure their locker is locked during the school day. If he does not have a lock, we recommend buying the Master Lock 40mm Brass Combination Lock available at Bunnings or online.

Student Services has a limited number of locks.

Remind your son that he will not be permitted to buy food from the canteen with his phone.

Year 7-8 will still order their lunches from the canteen (www.flexischools.com.au).

Years 9-12 will need to bring a card or cash to purchase from the canteen. Pre-paid debit cards and lunch pre-ordering are both available through the flexischools app (www.flexischools.com.au).  

Reassure your son that students who need their phones for medical reasons will still be able to carry their phones with them.

If you son needs his mobile phone throughout the day, please contact his Head of Year.

There are many groups and clubs that operate at lunch. These will be communicated on Schoolbox.

The Annandale Library has board games available at lunchtime.

If you are worried about the social impact of this protocol on your son, please contact your son’s tutor or Head of House.

This protocol will be most successful if home and school work together to convey the message that this protocol is about helping boys create healthier relationships with technology, not just about ‘banning phones’.

The latest research around the impact of both excessive screen time and social media on young people is increasingly concerning. See social media position paper.

The majority of schools in Australia are moving towards a harm reduction strategy in relation to mobile phones. Phones must be turned off and stored securely during the day in all Australian government schools. See Mobile phones in schools | vic.gov.au

The Federal Government is bringing in legislation at the end of 2025 aimed at preventing young people under 16 from accessing social media.