Reddam House Sydney continues to strengthen its commitment to student wellbeing and purposeful learning through the successful implementation of screenfree, lockable phone pouches in the Middle School.
As schools everywhere navigate the challenges of technology use and distraction, Reddam House Sydney has taken a proactive approach that supports student focus, engagement and digital safety – key elements of the School’s wider pastoral care framework.
In Short
- Reddam House Sydney has successfully introduced lockable phone pouches to its Middle School to reduce digital distractions during learning time.
- The screenfree initiative has resulted in improved classroom attention and increased opportunities for face-to-face connection.
- Led by Deputy Principal Courtaney Wood, the practical program recently gained national visibility on the Sunrise morning show.
- The intervention sits alongside the school's broader pastoral care framework, helping young people build self-discipline and healthier digital habits.
The initiative forms part of an ongoing effort to help young people manage the social, emotional and academic demands of adolescence within a safe, inclusive and values-led environment.
The lockable, signal-blocking pouches supplied by screenfree Australia are now helping to reduce phone-related disruptions during learning time by keeping devices stored securely and out of sight. Early results have been highly positive, with staff reporting improved classroom attention and students benefiting from increased opportunities for face-to-face connection and participation.
The School’s work in this space – led by Deputy Principal and Head of Middle School, Courtaney Wood – has also attracted broader attention, with the initiative recently featured on Sunrise, bringing national visibility to the growing movement for meaningful, school-based screenfree interventions.
Importantly, the phone pouch program sits alongside Reddam House Sydney’s broader Middle School pastoral care approach, which prioritises resilience, respectful relationships, belonging and emotional regulation.
Wellbeing sessions, leadership opportunities and targeted student support programs reinforce these values, while the phone pouch initiative provides a practical, everyday structure that helps students build self-discipline and healthier digital habits.
Reddam House Sydney remains committed to ensuring technology supports learning rather than undermining it. By pairing external expertise – such as the screenfree Australia partnership – with teacher-led wellbeing learning and responsive student support, the School continues to pursue a whole-child approach that connects academic growth with social and emotional development.
Through initiatives such as this, Reddam House Sydney is working to create a calm, focused and connected learning environment – one that protects student wellbeing, strengthens digital citizenship and supports every learner to thrive.
