When we launched our Senior School, we were very clear that we would be a phone free school. This has been welcomed by our parents and, as a consequence, our children play, talk and socialise in a healthy way. It has also reduced the time spent investigating online friendship issues.
However, our policy only keeps phones out of school – it doesn’t keep children entirely safe. The reality is that most of our children have been bought a phone when still in Primary or Prep School, long before their parents receive our letters about being phone free.
In November 2024, we hosted our first multi-school conference, Phones Off. Education On., bringing together parents and staff from across the South East to discuss the impact of smartphones on learning and wellbeing. In October 2025, our second conference focused on practical steps parents can take when deciding whether – and when – to give their child a phone, including exploring safer alternatives.
Attendees shared challenges, advice, and tips, which we’ve distilled into our Parents’ Guide to Starting the Smartphone Journey Safely, available in the resource list below.
If we can delay widespread ownership of mobile phones for children, we hope this will ease parental pressure and benefit young people. Please sign up below to hear more and join the growing momentum of parents and schools working together on this important issue.
