Smart Device Free Childhood
What is meant by a 'smart device free childhood'?
As you may have seen in the media, there is a growing movement amongst parents and guardians to support a campaign called “Smartphone-Free Childhood”. You can find out more by clicking these links:
By “smartphones”, we refer to phones that are able to access the internet and apps, as opposed to mobile phones that can only text and make phone calls.
We feel it is important to let you know our position on the topic, so it can inform the decisions you make as a family.
We understand the importance of being able to contact your child as they become more independent, walking to and from school, in order to give them a way to contact you if they need to.
The use of smart devices, which includes smartphones and smartwatches, is now a feature of daily life for most adults, and over the last few years the age at which children are given their first smartphone has dropped significantly. We know that in our school, some children as young as Key Stage 1 have smartphones.
What are the potential risks to children with smartphones?
Whilst smartphones can be a very helpful piece of technology for adults, they can equally expose children to a number of negative risks.
There is some evidence to suggest that smartphones may:
- be highly addictive, with the lasting effects on young and developing brains being similar to that of gambling
- have been linked to poor mental health, depression and low self-esteem, especially in young teenagers
- expose children to harmful content including pornography, grooming, bullying and material that is not age-appropriate
- reduce attention spans and children’s ability to concentrate
- reduce time spent playing, interacting and developing vital social skills
As a school, we encourage all parents to delay giving children a smartphone until they reach the age of at least 14, opting instead for a text/call phone alternative.
We believe we can all work together across the country to change the ‘normal’ age that children are given smartphones.
However, for this to be successful, it relies on you, our children’s parents and families, to resist the pressure from your children and their peers, and hold back on giving children smartphones until they are at least 14.
In order for you to have these conversations at home and set the expectations with your children, it is useful for you to know the school’s position, and that of many other families in the school community and local area. We also wanted to reassure you that there is a growing number of children with phones which do not have smart capabilities, where families have already begun to consider alternative options.
If your child already has a smartphone, there are parental control options available, which will enable you to switch-off or limit your child’s smartphone capabilities, for example, you can make certain social media apps or internet search functions inaccessible to them. If you are unsure how to do this, please click the following link for further information - https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/smartphones-and-other-devices/ - or contact the school for support in doing this.
What is the school's policy regarding smart devices?
In school, the policy remains the same, that children in Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 & 6) are able to bring their mobile phone to school, but this should only be the case if they will be walking to or from school alone. Additionally, a consent form must be completed by the child’s parent or guardian prior to the mobile phone being brought to school. Mobile phones must be turned off before entering school grounds, i.e. at the top of the school drive, and should not be switched back on until the child has left the school grounds. The child should give their mobile phone to their class teacher at the beginning of the school day, and it will be returned as the children leave the classroom at the end of the school day.
The school policy also stipulates that should a child breach these rules, their mobile phone will be confiscated and placed in the school’s safe. The phone will not be returned to the child, and must be collected by a parent or guardian during school opening hours. The same applies to smartwatches and other smart devices, particularly those with camera or recording capabilities.
As a school, we are watching the evidence closely and regularly speaking to other schools in the local area about this topic.
For the most up-to-date information from the school, please click here.
