Scout™ - for Mobile Phone Free Schools

The cost-effective way to a phone-free learning environment

Are you looking for a cost-effective approach to creating a mobile phone-free environment in your school? If lockers are too expensive or you need an additional management strategy to encourage compliance with a “phones away” policy, the Scout™ may be the answer you are looking for.

Scout™ is a simple, lightweight, compact mobile phone signal detector that finds 3G, 4G and 5G data signals. 

Scout™ for schools is easy to use, has a 6-hour battery life and is configured to detect mobile phone signals specific to your geographical region.

You can easily switch between settings to scan a single classroom or increase the range to monitor a large exam hall. Alternatively, you can set Scout™ to check students as they enter the exam room or leave for comfort breaks.  

The UK, USA and Canada have all been considering ways of reducing the use of phones during school time whether it’s restricting use during class time or requiring phones to be locked away in specific phone lockers from the start to the end of the school day.  Parent groups, teachers and legislators have all voiced concerns at the rise in disruption and distraction that smartphones in the classroom present.  Alongside these issues there are increasing concerns about the negative impact of social media and online bullying on young peoples’ mental health.

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of students in the US say they use their phones during school hours***
0 %
of 12 year olds in the UK own a mobile phone*
0 %
of Year 10-11 pupils reported phones were used in class**
0 %

*Department for Education and Ofcom report from March 2023.

**Department for Education National behaviour survey 2021/22

***Phone free schools movement

Comms-Tek Scout v2.2 device for detecting mobile/cell phone signals

How does it work?

In a recent demonstration of the Scout™ in a UK school, mobile phones were detected in every class tested including 8 phones in a class of 24 students. The phones were supposed to be in lockers and the head teacher believed his pupils were happily following the rules. 

With the phone finder in their hands, the head teacher walked around the classroom and in just a few moments, with minimal disruption to teaching, students with phones on them were identified and the phones were confiscated for the rest of the lesson. 

In follow up discussion, the head teacher asked if there was any way to “beat” the Scout™ and the answer is, well yes, by putting your phone on airplane mode or switching it off. Ultimately this achieves the same objective of phones being in lockers – no distractions in the classroom.

Our simple-to-use phone finder is the perfect solution to creating a distraction-free learning environment, empowering teachers and students to get the best out of their classroom time.

Read more about creating mobile phone free schools

Mobile phones are distracting and disruptive for teachers and students in schools in the UK

Find out about the US approach to cellphone bans

In a recent survey 97% of students surveyed saying they use their phone during the school day

How is Canada tackling mobile phone use in schools

87% of teenagers have a mobile phone (2022) but are they a useful tool in the classroom.
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Our team are on hand to answer your questions

Got a question about the Scout and how it could work in your school?  Our team are here to arrange a conversation and demonstration – just get in touch to arrange a call with our experts. 

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