Smartphone Free at KS1, 2 & 3
A new campaign to delay the use of smartphones at Bournside and in our feeder schools until students reach (at least) Year 10
"February 2025 marks the start of our "Smartphone Free at KS1,2 and 3" campaign. It does exactly what it says on the tin. Working with local primary schools we're encouraging families to hold off giving their children smartphones until they reach Year 10. Of course, it's not for us to tell parents what they can or cannot do with their children - that's certainly not what we're trying to do! However, we know from countless conversations with parents that they'd like to be able to hold off giving their children phones but, because "everybody's doing it" it's really difficult to say, "No". So we're hoping that by running this campaign, you'll know that if you choose to hold off giving your children a smartphone until the start of Year 10, you have our support.
For students that already have a smartphone (or a phone of any kind), the rules have not changed. All mobile phones should be switched off before coming into school and must not be taken out or used during the school day.
One thing that will be good for you to know: your son or daughter will not need a smartphone to access any of the websites or apps that are used at KS3 (Year 7 - 9). We've carefully audited our curriculum and have checked that all the systems we use can be accessed via a computer or through parents' phones on their child's behalf.
You’ll find the first “Smartphone Free at KS1, 2 and 3" letter below and if you’d like to pledge your support - which we'd really welcome - please sign the Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact online."
- Mr Jefferies, Headteacher
Smartphone at KS1, 2 & 3 Letters
Resources
Smartphone Free Childhood is a grassroots movement of parents who believe childhood’s too short to be spent on a smartphone.
1. Bring parents together to start new and positive conservations about the problems of smartphones and social media in childhood.
2. Empower parents to wait to get their kids a smartphone until at least Year 9, through signing up to the Parent Pact in their region.
3. Demonstrate that parents are demanding change at scale, and therefore force the government and tech companies to act.
Why we’re doing this now
We’ve been put in an impossible position by the tech companies. It’s a lose lose - either allow our children access to something all the evidence tells us is damaging, or say no and risk alienating them among their peers at a crucial stage of their social development. We believe something needs to change, and it starts with all of us.
How you can get involved
- Sign the Parent Pact - Join the growing movement of parents choosing to delay - it takes 30 seconds parentpact.smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk (select Year 7 at Bournside to show you intend to send your child to secondary school without a smartphone).
- Join your Smartphone Free Childhood WhatsApp community - Find solidarity, support and inspiration among Goucestershire-based parents whatsapp.smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk
- Sign up to the Smartphone Free Childhood newsletter - Get the latest news and campaign updates from SFC HQ smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/newsletter
#changethenorm
Alternatives to smartphones for kids
Known as simple phones, brick phones, dumb phones… whatever. These alternative phones for children offer lots of the good stuff (Snake, anyone?) without the wild west of the internet and social media. Great for parents wanting to disconnect too.
Simple phones
- A pared-back internet-free phone that looks like a smartphone but only calls and texts (plus a few emojis ????)
- Uncrackable operating system that can’t access the internet and has no apps
- No camera
- Simple and intuitive to use
- Headphone jack for hands-free calling
£239 for the Samsung Plus 4 model or £479 Google Pixel 8A model. Plus £13.99 monthly for the Pinwheel Caregiver Portal
- Modern, reliable kid phones with built-in parent management
- Device is designed to grow with your child, to meet their experience and maturity level.
- You can create a contact safelist, monitor texts and calls and set schedules for when contacts and apps are available.
- No web browser or social media apps, but hundreds of other vetted apps available, which you can choose to add when your child is ready, including banking, Google Maps, Spotify and Citymapper.
- Inbuilt GPS locator
- A premium, minimal phone designed to be used as little as possible
- Black and white ‘paper’ screen like a kindle, which emits no blue light
- A customisable menu which includes like: an alarm, calculator, calendar, directions
- Music player
- Podcasts
- No internet, social media, email or internet
- Currently only compatible in the UK with Vodafone, Giff Gaff and Three
- Texts and phone calls
- Very long lasting battery
- Range of colours
- Bright, colourful display (non pixelated text)
- Built in FM radio, MP3 player and torch
- Snake (and Tetris but you need to pay for the full game)
- Single rear facing camera (no selfies!)
A smartish phone that is designed to be distraction free, giving modern connectivity without addictive apps or websites
- Provides a fully controlled environment that limits content and is tamper-proof – no requirement for parents to check or update settings
- Contains functional apps such as messaging, banking, music, maps etc
- Has an internet browser which blocks social media, pornography, games, gambling and streaming sites
- No option to monitor or track – aimed at fostering trust and healthy tech habits
- Like an iPod with in-built wireless earbuds which charge when not in use
- Inbuilt mp3 player with storage for thousands of songs
- Inbuilt speaker
- Wireless FM radio
- Great sound quality
- Great battery life
- No wifi or whatsapp
- Sim-free mobile phone
- Talk, text and wireless FM radio
- Amazing battery life
- Torch and snake game