One school enforces a digital device policy so strict that even apps on students' smartwatches are banned during class.
Priory School on the Isle of Wight introduced the strict rules in 2009, requiring students to hand in their mobile phones at the start of the day.
The devices will only be returned when classes end with an action designed to protect students from distraction and “unfriendliness and bullying.”
Headteacher David EJJ Lloyd told Metro.co.uk that the policy has led to 'significant' improvements in student and staff behaviour, including outside the classroom.
In February, the government has cracked down on cellphones in schools as part of an effort to minimize disruption and improve behavior.
Unnecessary distractions, cyberbullying and peer pressure that come with owning expensive devices were cited in the move to ban their use across England.
“Mobile phones and social media have become a medium for unfriendliness and bullying, and as a chief for many years I know full well how much time, energy and emotion this can take to unravel,” Mr Lloyd said.
“This unkindness can start at school and continue around the clock.
'I have seen far too many disturbing and deeply disturbing screenshots of student behavior on phones, computers and games consoles, and we strongly encourage students to type as if they were talking face-to-face with a friend, colleague or member of staff.
'Mobile phones are also like trainers, with students looking for the next expensive model, and this can have unpleasant consequences including aggression and theft, not to mention putting pressure on parents to pay.'
Although cell phones are allowed through the gates, their use is prohibited, with the penalty being confiscation and return of the device to a parent.
The rule applies to all wearable gadgets that enable remote communications, including smartwatches.
The independent school has only about 180 students, but the generational problems are the same as those in places of learning across the country.
“Mobile phones have been handed in on entry since 2009, but are not prohibited because many students use public transport to and from school,” Lloyd said. 'Schools and families need to keep up with technology, and that includes smartwatches, which are not allowed for the same reasons.
'The effects are significant and include students and staff being more aware of their surroundings and not walking around with their heads down and fingers tapping, better communication and interpersonal skills, and improved spelling, punctuation and grammar.
'Students can speak, listen, socialize and empathize better, attend more co-curricular clubs, can learn without a constant stream of social media notifications and FOMO [fear of missing out].'
The school's ethos is now reflected in national government guidelines, which are pushing to ban smartphone use during the school day.
The new approach takes into account a national survey by the charity Parentkind, which found that 50% of parents are concerned about the amount of time their secondary school children spend on electronic devices.
At Priory, parents attending a 'safer internet' seminar were shocked to discover that groomers are using age and voice filters to trick children into believing they are communicating with someone with a similar profile.
Mr Lloyd said: 'At the heart of our policy is to ensure that school is a place where we can meet friends and enjoy their company, share experiences, feel safe and prepare for the adult world.
'Mobile phones can be a major barrier to developing soft and hard skills and can rob children of their precious childhood and school days.
'Mobile phones have their place and use in society, but not in schools, and certainly not in Priory, where not having a phone between 8.30am and 4pm has been the accepted working norm for 15 years.'
In April, a school principal in London announced plans to introduce a twelve-hour school day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to reduce students' screen time.
Andrew O'Neill said he would rather see students at All Saints Catholic College in Notting Hill taking part in extra-curricular activities such as dodgeball, basketball, art, drama and cooking, rather than sitting at home on their phones.
Smartphone use is creating an apathetic and anxious generation of children with reduced social skills, according to the chief, who spoke of seeing “some of the most shocking things I have ever seen” on devices.
Launching the government's policy on phone use in schools, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: 'Schools are places where children can learn and mobile phones are an unwanted distraction in the classroom, to say the least.
“We give our hardworking teachers the tools to take action to improve behavior and empower them to do what they do best: teach.”
MORE : Mobile phones are at risk of being banned from every school in England
MORE : The principal comes up with a plan to help the kids' phone addictions that the kids won't like
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