KES Bath pilots new mobile phone scheme with digital start-up, Novi.
King Edward’s School, Bath (KES) has announced a new pilot scheme to support healthy smartphone discipline in its Sixth Form, as part of its ongoing commitment to pupil wellbeing, focus and digital responsibility.
From this term, KES Sixth Form pupils will take part in a pilot with Novi, an innovative digital wellbeing platform developed by University of Bristol students, which empowers young people to manage their own phone use during study and social time at school. The pilot builds on the school’s established phone‑free policy for younger pupils, following the successful introduction of Yondr pouches for pupils in Years 7–11 and the recommendation to parents or carers to hold-off buying smartphones for pupils starting Senior School in Year 7.
The move comes amid growing national attention on smartphone use in schools, including recent amendment within the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which proposes a statutory expectation for phone‑free school days, while allowing schools discretion in shaping appropriate approaches for Sixth Form students.
At KES, phones are already prohibited throughout the school day for pupils in Years 7–11. In the Sixth Form, where pupils are preparing for university and life beyond school, the emphasis is on developing self‑regulation, judgement and digital discipline, alongside academic independence.
The Novi pilot provides a supportive framework for this approach. Using a simple ‘tap‑in’ system, students activate a personalised Focus Mode on their phone when entering the Sixth Form Centre. They choose which apps to block during study time – such as social media – while retaining access to essentials like music, emergency calls or medical apps. The system is designed to be low‑friction, non‑punitive and pupil‑led.
Commenting on the school’s wider approach to smartphone use, Will Quayle, Deputy Head (Pastoral) at the Senior School at KES, said:
“We hope this will be a positive step in supporting pupils to engage fully with their learning and with one another whilst at school. We recognise that this pilot is just one part of a broader approach to digital wellbeing. As part of our Learning for Life programme, we remain committed to helping our pupils build a healthy relationship with technology and we will continue to work closely with parents to ensure that clear and healthy boundaries are in place both at school and beyond the school gates.”
Luke Benedict, Head of Sixth Form, added:
“In the Sixth Form, the Novi pilot supports the same principle as lower down in the Senior School, giving pupils the tools to manage their own digital focus.
“As they near the end of their school careers, our responsibility is to help students prepare for life beyond King Edward’s. This pilot supports pupils during independent study and social time at school, while encouraging them to develop the autonomy, judgement and digital habits they will need in the next stage of their lives.”
The Novi trial will run through the summer term, including the internal examination period, after which Novi will gather qualitative feedback from a small number of staff and students to better understand how digital focus tools can support concentration and study culture in schools.
Novi was founded by Matthew Stewart and Nadav Jacobs, with Louis Harris and Lucas Chow joining as Founding Engineers and Tyler Abrahams as Founders Associate. All five are final‑year students at the University of Bristol. Novi is already being piloted in Bristol schools and at the university itself. The start‑up has recently received backing from Bethnal Green Ventures, Europe’s leading early‑stage tech‑for‑good investor and has been awarded funding through the University of Bristol’s Runway Awards.
As national expectations around smartphone use in schools continue to evolve, KES remains focused on combining clear boundaries with education, guidance and collaboration with families, helping pupils build healthy, sustainable relationships with technology.