Cheshire Independent Issue 208

MACCLESFIELD • TYTHERINGTON • BOLLINGTON ALDERLEY EDGE • PRESTBURY • WILMSLOW • HANDFORTH • POYNTON • BRAMHALL • DISLEY • ALSAGER • BIDDULPH • CONGLETON • SANDBACH ISSUE 208 FREE CHESHIRE FREE YOUR LOCAL GOOD NEWS-PAPER FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @CheshireIndy www.independentnewspapers.co.uk SCAN HERE! DOWNLOAD OUR APP! 24 HOURS SERVICE FIXED PRICES NO NASTY SURPRISES Looking for Flooring Inspiration? Let us help you find the perfect flooring for your home. With great advice, home styling, measure and planning service, plus quality fitting of top brands and designs, youwill be glad you did . Visit our showroom: Tuesday to Saturday or call 01260 224445 for a private appointment Thornycroft Farm, Pexhill Road, Siddington, Cheshire SK11 9JN ● Modern, Traditional & Luxury Carpets ● Natural Wood Flooring ● Laminate Flooring ● Stair Runners & Rods ● Luxury Vinyl Tiles ● Bespoke Rugs & Runners Positive move: Tytherington School has seen improvements in behaviour and concentration since using the pouches OUT OF SIGHT – OUT OF MIND New plan to lock away mobile phones during school hours MOBILE phones are set to be locked away during the day in every state high school in Cheshire under a major new initiative. Police and crime com- missioner Dan Price wants Cheshire to be the first county in the UK where all schools have lockable phone pouches – and he’s backing the plan with up to £150,000 in funding. Just nine of the county’s mainstream high schools have introduced lockable phone pouches. While many schools have ‘out of sight’ mobile bans, he says these are often ineffective or prob- lematic to enforce. Schools with lockable pouches see immediate, widespread, positive results in wellbeing and a dramatic reduction in online safeguard- ing incidents – one quoting an 80 per reduction. Behaviour is better, con- centration is up and one school has seen a fivefold increase in library usage since introducing pouches, as well as a surge in interest in enrichment activities. In October 2025, Cheshire mum Esther Ghey, whose daughter Brianna was mur- dered in 2023, launched a national ‘Phone Free Educa- tion’ campaign in Parliament. Mr Price believes Cheshire can “lead in this space” by being the first county in the UK to make it happen. He said: “From a crime prevention perspective, this is an absolute no-brainer. Less online bullying, less access to potentially harmful or vio- lent content, less distractions, less exclusions. “In Cheshire of all places, we know the impact this can have. That’s why we must make this happen here.” The £150,000 will be avail- able over two years to support schools in Cheshire to adopt phone pouches. It will target funding to those in receipt of free school meals, if their schools can find a way to fund the remaining amount. Mr Price says matched funding from other public and philanthropic sources could further accelerate the plan to make sure all state high schools operate an effective phone-free solution by 2026. Tytherington School intro- duced pouches at the start of the September term, which means all students are phone free throughout the day. It became the first school in Cheshire East to adopt the policy. Headteacher Manny Botwe said the initiative had made a noticeable difference. He said: “We’ve seen an immediate improvement in behaviour and concentration in class. “Safeguarding concerns linked to phones and social media have already taken a noticeable dip, and students are engaging more positively with their learning and with one another.” Esther Ghey said: “I urge every school in Cheshire to take advantage of this amaz- ing initiative. Lockable phone pouches are a simple step towards creating safer and more focused classrooms.” Brianna Ghey, 16, was stabbed by two teenagers in a park inWarrington in 2023. As well as funding, schools that take part in the initiative will receive support includ- ing information materials for parents and pupils, implemen- tation plans and expertise from those schools that have already rolled out pouches.