All College Notices – 11th September 2026

With an ever increasing number of young people having access to technology and their own electronic devices, this brings with it the risk of a rise in the misuse of social media. To ensure a safe, calm, and distraction-free learning environment, Uckfield College operates a strict zero-tolerance policy on the use of mobile phones and smart devices on school grounds.

This approach aligns directly with official Department for Education guidance, which mandates that all schools in England remain mobile phone-free environments throughout the entire school day, including during lessons, breaktimes, and lunchtimes.

If any aspect of ICT is misused within the school or on our equipment we will identify and address this misuse. Fortunately, this type of misuse is incredibly rare and this is helped by the fact that students are not able to access any social media sites on our network.

Indeed, most of the inappropriate use of the internet is done from home or on students’ mobile devices during evenings, weekends and holidays. This makes it very difficult for schools to investigate and take action. Unfortunately, we are limited in our ability to control or sanction content posted online. We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that issues which originate outside of College do not negatively impact on the smooth running of our community. When issues do negatively impact our school, we will always address this as swiftly and thoroughly as possible.

The College does not hold additional sway with platform operators; our reports carry exactly the same weight as any individual. 

The responsibility for monitoring a child’s use of social media, or indeed the internet in general, must lie with parents/carers. We strongly encourage you to discuss issues around this with your child. For reference, the minimum age requirement for major platforms is 13 years old:  

Facebook (13+) 

Instagram (13+)  

WhatsApp (13+)  

Snapchat (13+)  

TikTok (13+)  

We strongly encourage you to talk with your child about their online presence and the potential consequences of their actions—both online and in person.

While it may seem anonymous and impersonal, nothing posted online can ever truly be taken back. It is also important that students understand that anyone found participating in or encouraging inappropriate behaviour risks significant disciplinary consequences.

If your child is the victim of inappropriate use then we strongly recommend that you, as a parent/carer, report the matter to both the social media service and to the police.

However, to support you and your child the College will:

• Continue, through PSHE and assemblies, to educate students of the dangers of inappropriate use of the internet
• Continue to monitor the use of any form of ICT in normal school hours and the use of the school email system at all times, and will deal with anything deemed inappropriate
• Refer anything that we believe could be defined as, or could potentially lead to, a Child Protection issue to the appropriate external agencies
• Continue to support parents with advice on how to tackle inappropriate use either by their own child or others East Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership 

Helpful Resources for Parents and Young People 

To support you and your child in navigating social media safely and maintaining well-being, we encourage you to explore the following resources:

• YoungMinds Parent Guide to Social Media: Practical advice for parents on managing social media use and supporting your child’s mental health online.
• CEOP Education (11-18 Years): Age-appropriate guidance and reporting advice from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support in keeping our young people safe online and focused in College.