ALTHOUGH I’m sure pupils at Archway School will be upset that the headteacher has banned mobile phones, many of them will thank him later in life.

In a letter sent out to parents and students, Colin Belford wrote: “Mobile phones must be switched off and out of sight from the moment they pass through the school gates in the morning to the moment they leave the school gates at the end of each day, including at break and at lunchtimes.”

Pretty much all schools ban students from using phones during lessons, but to bar them for the entire day is less common – however, it’s for their benefit.

There’s a generation of young people who are literally addicted to their phone. They cannot go more than 30 minutes without checking for updates and, as a result, their attention spans have become akin to that of a toddler. You see it at the cinema: phone screens lighting up every 10 minutes as they check their mobile. This can have serious consequences on their development and safety.

So, to become used to leaving their phone alone for up to eight hours can only be a good thing.