Our Approach to Smartphones
Setting the Scene
Dear Parents,
In a constantly changing and complex world, we all face the challenges of preparing our children for the future whilst also preserving the wonder of childhood. This can mean sometimes having to make difficult decisions based on what we believe is in the best interests of our child, even though these decisions can often be unpopular.
Having chatted to parents at matches and on the patio, I know one of the difficult issues many parents are grappling with is the increased use of smartphones and social media amongst children. Indeed, Parliament recently debated ‘The Safer Phones Bill’ which aims to make smartphones less addictive for children and empower families and schools to reduce children’s daily smartphone screen time. The evidence that is emerging about the negative impact that smartphones and social media are having on young people’s mental health, well-being and social development is compelling. The statistics speak for themselves:
50% of all 9 year olds in the UK own a smartphone, rising to 90% by the age of 11.
Research from University College London found that frequent social media use can increase a child’s risk of depression by 27%.
A recent Education Select Committee report revealed that 1 in 4 children now use their phones in a manner resembling behavioural addiction.
Over the summer, I read Professor Jonathan Haidt’s ‘Anxious Generation’ which details the scientific research on this issue. He stresses the importance of a play-based childhood rather than a phone-based childhood. He concludes that a significant shift in our behaviours around phone use is required. In September, I also had the privilege of listening to Dr Chatterjee sharing his insights on how the fundamental differences between online and real-world interactions are affecting young people’s social, emotional and cognitive development. Dr Chatterjee has been involved in the Channel 4 documentary, Swiped, which is due to air in December and follows a group of Year 8 children who give up their phones for 21 days. It promises to be compelling viewing.
Many of you will be aware of the Smartphone Free Childhood movement made up of parents and professionals concerned about this issue. At Castle Court, 68 parents have signed the Smartphone Free Childhood pact (the second highest number of parent signatures in Dorset) which shows the depth of feeling within our parent body. Further information about this organisation can be found on their website: Smartphone Free Childhood.
As Head of Castle Court, I therefore feel the time is right to not only reaffirm the school’s stance on this issue, but also provide further guidance to parents who are navigating the issues surrounding smartphones and social media use.
50% of all 9 year olds in the UK own a smartphone
The fundamental differences between online and real-world interactions are affecting young people’s social, emotional and cognitive development
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90% of all 11 year olds in the UK own a smartphone
Our Policy The Role of Parents
Our stance at Castle Court has always been that we are a mobile phone free school.
Pupils are not allowed to bring mobile phones into school or on to the school minibuses. Any pupil found with a mobile phone on site will have their phone confiscated, receive a sanction inline with our behavioural policy and parents will be informed.
Where there are exceptional circumstances requiring a pupil to bring in a mobile phone, permission should be sought from Mr Dunsford (Assistant Head) by the parent. The phone should then be handed into the office on arrival and collected from the office at the end of the school day.
We are proud to be one of 11% of schools nationally who are genuinely smartphone free as it helps us to uphold the belief that childhood should be treasured; it also allows our pupils to enjoy the wonder of childhood without the distraction of social media within school time.
Whilst the decision to give your child a smartphone ultimately rests with you as parents, I want to support you in making an informed decision and encourage an open and honest discussion between parents and the school about this issue.
As a school, we regularly have to deal with issues related to smartphone and social media use outside of school, particularly after returning from the school holidays.
Friendship fallouts, a feeling of being excluded and bullying often stem from interactions on phones and the pressure children can feel to be ‘present’ online.
As educators, we see the impact that this can have on a child’s well-being and self-esteem.
We also know that smartphones and access to social media can have a negative impact on the quality and quantity of sleep children get, which in turn can affect their concentration levels, mood, stress and anxiety within the school day.
Giving your child access to a smartphone is a huge decision to make and should be considered carefully. In no other context would we provide unregulated access to millions of pages of content that (alongside other useful and beneficial information) is potentially harmful and inappropriate.
If you do decide to give your child a smartphone, I would strongly encourage you use the parent controls available to restrict your child’s access to the internet and to limit the amount of time they spend online. Further information on apps which can be used to mange access and screen time are detailed at the end of this booklet.
I would also encourage you to check your child’s phone regularly and ensure that any apps are downloaded with your permission. Please be aware that the age restriction for a number of popular social media apps (including Tiktok, Snapchat and WhatsApp) is 13 years old. These apps have an age limit for a reason. They are also created with their audience in mind, and even though the age limit may be 13, there is often content more suited to adults. The underlying algorithms can also expose your child to advertising and inappropriate content.
Many parents choose to give their child a smartphone as they want to ensure that they are safe and can be contacted in an emergency.
For this reason, some parents are opting to provide their child with a simple phone or ‘brick phone’ which enables a child to phone or text without giving access to the internet or social media. For further information, please see details at the end of this letter.
I am aware that many parents feel pressure to allow their child a smartphone so that they can join in with friends and ‘conform’ to what others are doing. However, there are many parents within Castle Court who are opting to delay giving their child a smartphone until they leave the school, or who are retracting their child’s smartphone or social media usage due to difficulties and/or upset.
As parents you do have the opportunity to change the ‘norm’ and a collective decision to delay giving smartphones during their time at Castle Court would be extremely powerful.
Alternatives to Smartphones
Nokia 5710
Looks like an iPod, with inbuilt wireless earbuds and MP3 player and speakers.
It has no Wifi capability.
The Light Phone II
Similar screen to a Kindle, emitting no blue light. It has a music player and podcasts, but no internet, social media or email connectivity.
Designed to be used as little as possible!
Nokia 2660 Flip
Looks and feels like a smartphone, with a bright display and built in radio and torch. It also has a camera, for use in emergencies, and a long-lasting battery.
Doro 708x
Calls only the three contacts you rely on the most.
It can receive messages but can’t send them.
It can show its location to assigned contacts.
These are just a few examples of the products currently on the market which look and feel like mobile phones, but are data and Wifi limited to give you more control as parents.
When you get a SIM card for your child’s phone, make sure that it has no data roaming, so that there is no access to the internet.
Smartphone Free Childhood recommend the ASDA Talk and Text Plan SIM.
The downside of devices such as these is that they tend not to be fitted with location trackers, meaning that some parents choose to also look into products such as:
Jiobit
Offers real-time GPS location, unlimited range, SOS button and a long battery life (up to 20 days). Small, lightweight, and water-resistant - likely a top choice as GPS tracker for children.
Garmin Vivofit
Combines GPS and activity tracking with sleep monitoring and fun challenges. Durable and swim-friendly, but location tracking features are less advanced.
Weenect
Offers real-time GPS tracking for children with up to 7 days battery life, an SOS button for emergencies, and geofencing for setting safe zones.
You may also wish to consider Apple AirTags, or Tiles (see https://delaysmartphones. org.uk/alternatives/ or emanueldelayingsmartphones.com for more information).
Have a look at the Smartphone Free Childhood website: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/alternatives
Monitoring Access and Screen Time
One of the main worries if permitting your child to have a Smartphone is the ability to monitor what they can access, when they can access it and how much screen time they have every day.
There are a number of apps on the market currently which can help with many of these things.
You may wish to have a look at:
• OurPact: https://ourpact.com/
• Qustodio: https://www.qustodio.com/en/
• Mspy: https://mspy.net/
• eyeZy: https://www.eyezy.com/
• Parentaler: https://parentaler.com/
• Norton: https://uk.norton.com/products/norton-family
Frequent social media use can increase a child’s risk of depression by 27%
1
in 4 children use their phones in a manner resembling behavioural addiction
In Summary
As Head of Castle Court, I am very conscious that my role is not to tell you how to bring up your child; as parents you are best placed to decide what is right for your child and your family.
However, I do feel it is important that the school and parents engage in honest and open discussions about important issues such as this, because ultimately we want the same thing – for your children to be happy, to flourish and have the best childhood possible.
If you would like to discuss any issues raised in this booklet further, please do email me on head@castlecourt.com, or make an appointment to see me via my PA, Hannah, on hmsec@castlecourt.com.
