A Camden secondary has ramped up its fight against cyber-bullying by banning the use of mobile phones, tablets and laptops.

Acland Burghley in Burghley Road, Tufnell Park, has brought in new rules forbidding pupils to use personal electronic devices on school grounds or during school trips unless supervised by staff.

Associate headteacher Anna Peduzzi wrote in the school’s bulletin that the ban had been put in place earlier this month.

She said: “The reasons for introducing this rule are straightforward: to keep every student safer and to try to eliminate all cyber-bullying during school hours.”

Students will be unable to use them at any time, including during breaks and lunch-time.

They can use devices for work – but only if they are given permission by a member of staff, who will supervise them throughout.

Sixth-formers will not be tied to the ban as strictly as pupils lower down in the school.

A student seen with any of the forbidden items around school will receive a 15-minute detention and the device will be confiscated and returned to them at the end of the school day.

If pupils refuse to hand over their items, they will get an hour’s detention and the device will be returned to their parent or carer.

Skateboards and scooters were also banned under the new rules, brought in under the school’s new behaviour policy at the start of the new academic year.

Ms Peduzzi said: “Now that the building works are being completed, it is clear that storing skateboards and scooters in school is no longer possible. Students are therefore no longer allowed to bring these into school.”

Under the works, the school’s canteen, sixth-form common room and toilet blocks have been renovated.