Oxford News
Oxford private school in new ‘mobile phone ban’ announcement
St Edward’s School (‘Teddies’) in Woodstock Road has extended its mobile phone restrictions to its Year 11 students as well as Year 9 and Year 10.
As such the 16-year-olds will no longer be allowed their phones at any time during the week, with daytime access to them at weekends.
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This followed a recent survey of pupils which said that four in five feel happy ‘all or most of the time’ compared to three in five before the first phone restrictions were introduced in 2022.
Alastair Chirnside, warden (headteacher), said: “This year’s pupil survey has put into numbers what we have been seeing and feeling for a long time: that Teddies pupils are leading more enriched and less distracted lives without their phones throughout the week.
“While we know that extending restrictions even further won’t be universally popular with teenagers, last month’s pupil survey has quite clearly demonstrated that, when asked in private, many children are in fact thankful to be given clear rules on phone usage.
“From comments in the survey, it is clear that many children even feel a sense of relief that the burden of moderating their phone use has been lifted from them.”
Restrictions have also been extended in the sixth form with the upper sixth now following the lower sixth in only having access to phones after lessons, before handing them in at 10pm each evening.
The school has 817 pupils with 644 responding to the anonymous survey carried out last month.
Almost half said they were spending more time talking to friends, with 32 per cent noting they were working harder and 19 per cent saying they were spending more time reading.
One pupil said: “I believe the no-phone policy has been really beneficial at this school for helping friendships and hobbies grow.”
Another added: “I completely agree with it, and I think it’s an incredible way to relieve tensions and build friendships quicker in the earlier years of school.”
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In addition, Teddies has revealed that – in contrast to wider societal trends – it re-introduced landline phones last September, after 15 years without them.
This was part of an overhaul about its mobile phone rules to enable pupils’ contact with their homes, family and friends.
Pupils also have access to Nokia ‘brick’ phones in their boarding houses, and to WhatsApp, Teams and Zoom at certain times through the school’s monitored network, using laptop computers which are managed by the school’s IT department.
The blaze broke out on Monday (August 3) in fields behind houses in Chipping Campden, just across the Oxfordshire border in Gloucestershire.
74-year-old gardener and landscaper Francis Owens died at the scene after a large fire erupted in dry fields behind Berrington Road and Castle Gardens.
Emergency services received multiple 999 calls at 5.38pm reporting a fast‑moving blaze.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said 13 fire engines were deployed at the height of the incident.
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Deputy chief fire officer Nathaniel Hooton said: “We were called at 5.38pm on Monday 3 August following multiple reports from members of the public about a large fire in fields behind Berrington Road and Castle Gardens in Chipping Campden.
“As a service, we extend our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and to the wider community.
“At the height of the incident, 13 fire engines were in attendance. This was a multi‑agency response.
“We worked extremely hard with colleagues from neighbouring fire services to bring the fire under control.”
Gloucestershire Constabulary confirmed that Mr Owens, from the local area, was declared dead at the scene.
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A police spokesperson said: “Following a fire in Chipping Campden last night, a man in his 70s from the local area was sadly confirmed dead at the scene.
“His family and the coroner have been informed, and our thoughts remain with all those who knew him at this time.
“Police do not suspect any third party involvement in the death.2
Speaking to The Independent, Mr Owens’ son Patrick described his father as “the Renaissance man of Chipping Campden” and an “amazing father” who had been devoted to his wife Mandy for 50 years.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established, and Gloucestershire Police and the fire service say investigations are continuing.
The Change.org surpassed the 500,000 milestone just before Thursday afternoon, August 6 and continues to rise at speed.
Hundreds of thousands of people across the UK are demanding the government do not let Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole out of jail early.
Some 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after ministers exempted rapists and “serious” child sex offenders as part of the scheme to tackle overcrowding in jails.
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Cole and Bowers remain eligible to be freed halfway through their 13-year sentences after they were convicted of manslaughter in 2020 following Pc Harper’s death in 2019
As she backed the calls, widow Lissie Harper said: “Government has punched us in the gut… they should be ashamed of themselves.
“Hopefully we can make the current Government come to their senses and realise we cannot put people like this back on our streets. Justice should mean justice and serving the sentence given.”
Aileen O’Connor, who chairs the Thames Valley Police Federation, said releasing Cole and Bowers would anger and demoralise serving officers in the area.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she supported the Police Federation in considering a judicial review.
She told Today: “I’m not arguing against early release. We’ve had early release even under Conservatives.
“I’m against early release of this dangerous category of rapists, paedophiles, killers, including the killers of Pc Andrew Harper.”
Thames Valley Police has released a CCTV image of a man they are searching for in relation to money reportedly being fraudulently withdrawn in Oxfordshire, Ascot and London.
The force said that on May 20, the suspected offender obtained the bank card and PIN number of the victim, a woman in her 20s, which were being posted to her address.
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They then proceeded to withdraw thousands of pounds from the victim’s account over the next 12 days, before the woman became aware and blocked the card.
The money was withdrawn from cash machines at several locations, including NatWest, TSB and Nationwide branches in Witney, HSBC in Chiswick, Nationwide in Oxford, and cash machines at Tesco and Sainsbury’s in Ascot.
This was between 20 May and 1 June 2026.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable David Mathieson, said: “I am appealing to anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity at the cash machines between the dates we are investigating, or has information that may assist us to please get in touch.
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“If you recognise the man in the image, or if this is you, please contact us.
“Anyone with information should call 101 or make an online report, via our website, quoting crime reference number 43260273378.
“If you don’t want to speak directly with police, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
“If you suspect your card or account has been compromised, contact your bank immediately.”
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