Trust Buys £50,000 Phone Scanners, Critics Call It Sunk-cost Fallacy

A poll found 42 percent called the pouches a waste of money, 23 percent said they made a real difference, and 27 percent backed them only with wider phone-use rules. Headteacher Sarah Capewell of Stockport Grammar praised the change as 'overwhelmingly positive', while teacher Guy Holder urged an 'urgent pause' on the rollout. One middle-leader at a multi-academy trust said they spent over £250,000 on pouches in 18 months, with 60 percent of pupils bringing two phones and magnets going missing.

The trust is now buying phone scanners for £50,000, which critics call a sunk-cost fallacy. Another teacher noted students use smartwatches to bypass pouches. Some schools, like The Fulham Boys, have adopted brickphone-only policies at no cost.

Parents argued digital bus passes and homework apps like Duolingo complicate bans, while others insisted phones are unnecessary during school hours. The debate continues over how to improve learning environments.