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Winchester College, a prestigious 644-year-old boarding school in Hampshire, has banned laptops for nearly all classwork and homework due to concerns that they distract students. The headmistress, Elizabeth Stone, stated that allowing phones while restricting laptops is ineffective since students can easily shift distracting activities to other devices. She argues that the ban on technology has improved student concentration and engagement, noting a decline in multitasking behaviors such as instant messaging and watching videos during class time. This policy contrasts with recent education initiatives promoting increased use of screens in classrooms.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Winchester College, a prestigious 644-year-old boarding school in Hampshire, has banned laptops from most classroom activities due to concerns they are hindering learning. The school's head, Elizabeth Stone, notes that simply addressing mobile phones without restricting laptops is ineffective since students can easily shift distracting activities to these devices. Ms. Stone, who became the school’s first female head in 2023, argues that internet use spikes immediately at the start of lessons, indicating pupils are checking emails rather than focusing on class material. She criticizes the idea of students multitasking and suggests laptops encourage fragmented attention instead of sustained focus. For younger pupils (Years 9 and 10), all homework must now be done with pen and paper. Older students will only use laptops where there is clear evidence it benefits their learning substantially.
Written for “School Tech Policies” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.50, but all 3 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 73025: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-12
One of the country's top private schools is fighting back against screens in the classroom – by insisting pupils use pen and paper.
asserted
pupils → fight → pen
Winchester College, the 644-year-old Hampshire boarding school, has stopped children using laptops for nearly all classwork and homework amid concern the devices are hampering learning.
asserted
devices → stop → learning
The school's head, Elizabeth Stone, said: 'There's no point just tackling the phones if we're going to say, "Here's a laptop that you have to have with you all the time"... because the vast majority of the activity that they're doing on the phone can then just shift as easily on to a tablet or a laptop.'
asserted
they → say → tablet
She added that laptops have become 'more distracting' for the school's pupils, who are aged 13 to 18, with teachers noticing a 'big spike' in internet use during the first ten minutes of the first lesson – indicating that pupils were immediately checking their emails.
asserted
pupils → add → emails
Ms Stone, who became Winchester College's first female head in 2023, criticised the suggestion that students were simply 'multitasking', arguing that the laptops enabled 'fragmented attention switching'.
asserted
laptops → become → switching
All homework for the youngest pupils – Years 9 and 10 – must now be completed with pen and paper.
asserted
homework → complete → pen
Older pupils will be able to use their laptops only where there is evidence it will be 'substantially' beneficial to the lesson.
asserted
it → use → lesson
Winchester College has reverted to making its students use pen and paper for classwork and homework
Headteacher Elizabeth Stone said there was 'no point' tackling phones while permitting unchecked laptop use
'
asserted
Stone → revert → use
We made it clear to teachers we do not want the laptop to be the default way of working.
asserted
laptop → make → teachers
If it can be done in another way without the technology, you should,' Ms Stone told The Sunday Times.
asserted
Stone → do → Times
The school's crackdown puts it at odds with recent education policy, which encourages screens in classrooms to try to make pupils more technologically advanced.
asserted
pupils → put → classrooms
But parents and teachers are concerned that many children are becoming addicted to their screens, to the detriment of their learning and development.
asserted
children → concern → learning
Ms Stone has said the rolling back of technology has already resulted in better concentration and engagement in lessons.
asserted
rolling → say → lessons
'They weren't simultaneously chatting to each other and sending instant messages.
asserted
They → chat → messages
They didn't have access to YouTube.
asserted
They → have → YouTube
They weren't watching football reels,' she said.
asserted
she → watch → reels
In April, Labour's then education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced a £23million scheme to expand the use of AI in classrooms.
asserted
Phillipson → announce → classrooms
Campaigners have warned the Government is 'prioritising cost savings over proven education'.
asserted
Government → warn → education
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