Dear Parents,
As you may be aware, the Department of Education issued secondary schools with Circular 0045/2025 in June 2025 which instructed Principals to restrict ‘the use of and access to personal mobile phones by students during the school day.’
In recent weeks, we have consulted staff, students and parents to ascertain the issues surrounding mobile phones in our school and also what solution best suits our school context. Both students and parents outlined in their responses to the survey that students are using their phones in the bathrooms for the following reasons:
- To contact home because they feel unwell/have forgotten school materials/feel anxious
- To take photos
- To access social media
Our Positive Code of Behaviour, which parents and students alike have signed, outlines the correct procedure to contact home, via Reception. Students are not permitted to take photos on the school grounds using personal devices and similarly students are not permitted to access social media at any time during the school day.
Therefore, we expect our students to adhere to the rules of our school at all times but particularly now, that at assemblies this week, these expectations are being clearly articulated to them via our campaign entitled ‘Phones Off, Minds On’ Students are being informed of our honour system but also the consequences for any student who is found using their phone on the campus, that being it will be confiscated for 24 hours and submitted to the relevant Year Head, locked in a ‘lock box’ and complete its period of confiscation during the school day.
As parents, it is crucial that you do not contact your daughter via her phone during the school day. Should you need to contact your daughter urgently due to an emergency, please contact our Reception on 014903241 or admin@olschool.ie. Should your daughter have an appointment, please submit a note via the app for the relevant Year Head’s attention before 8.30am.
I appreciate your support of this strategy which we will trial and review in the coming term,
Kind regards,
Gráinne Byrne
Principal
