PUPILS at Leigh Church Of England Junior School think it's good to talk - as long as it's not in school time.

Despite most schools banning the use of mobile phones, forward-thinking headteacher Brian Fawcett allows his pupils to bring in their phones - but they must hand them in before classes start.

Mr Fawcett said: "Some of the pupils' parents asked me if it was all right for children to use their phones, so I devised a plan that children could hand their phones in at the start of the day for safe keeping, and pick them up again at home-time.

"It gives parents a choice and if they want their child to have a phone with them on the way to and from school, we support that choice.

"The rule is phones must be switched off when they are handed in in the morning and pupils are not allowed to use them until they pick them back up again. The scheme has been in place for about 12 months and it works fine."