Many families have shared that they don’t feel their child is quite ready for a smartphone yet, but they worry about their child feeling left out. We understand these concerns and want to work with you to create the best possible environment for learning, wellbeing and positive friendships. Recent media coverage has also highlighted growing concerns about the impact of smartphones on young people, which has further prompted us to review our approach.
With this in mind, we are making an important change to our mobile phone arrangements; From 1 June 2026, all pupils in every year group will place their smart devices in a secure phone pouch while on the school site. By having a clear, whole‑school approach, we can remove pressure from families and help ensure that no child feels disadvantaged.
The wider evidence of the impact of mobiles phones is clear:
- Problematic smartphone use is strongly linked with increased anxiety and depression in teenagers
- Young people receive hundreds of notifications each day, directly affecting focus and attention.
- Much bullying now happens through digital devices
- Schools that remove smartphones from the day regularly see significant improvements in engagement in their learning
Closer to home, both our neighbouring secondary schools already operate phone‑free systems with great success.
What this means
A smart device includes any internet‑enabled device, such as smartphones and smartwatches, even those marketed as “restricted” or “locked down.”
To ensure the policy is fair and consistent:
- Staff will check that pouches are securely locked on arrival
- Any pupil found with a smart device outside their pouch will receive a sanction in line with our behaviour policy
Medical exceptions
Some pupils rely on a device for essential medical reasons, such as continuous glucose monitoring or clinically prescribed apps.
For these pupils:
- We have purchased specialist medical pouches, and
- We will work closely with families to ensure no child’s health or safety is compromised.
Staying in touch
If you need to contact your child in an emergency during the day, please call the school office and messages will be passed promptly.
If your child needs to urgently contact you, they can do so via their Learning Coach at appropriate times.
Working together
We warmly encourage you to consider joining the Smartphone‑Free Childhood Parent Pact, a national collective commitment that removes pressure on individual families and helps all children feel supported – https://www.smartphonefreechildhood.org/sign-the-parent-pact .
Thank you for your continued partnership. Changes like this are most successful when schools and families work together, and we are deeply grateful for your trust and support.
If you have any questions, please do get in touch—we genuinely welcome the conversation.
