Lets Talk About Tech - Free Webinars
Did you know:
- 51% of UK 11-13 year olds have seen pornography, mostly unintentionally (evidence)
- 73% of parents say excessive smartphone-use is a source of family conflict (evidence)
- Among children aged 8-17 who are bullied, eight in ten experience it through a device (evidence)
We would encourage every parent in Basingstoke to attend the webinar below, irrespective of your child’s age, to find out more about the impact of Smartphones.
When is it, and how do I sign-up?
- Wednesday June 25th at 7:30 pm – book here
- Tuesday July 8th at 6:00 pm – book here
- Wednesday July 16th at 7:30 pm – book here
- Maximum of 1 hour.
- Each session is the same!
What is Smartphone Free Childhood?
This is a national movement aimed at tackling the huge problem that smartphones are creating for our children. The aim is to change the current culture of “everybody has a phone so my child needs one”, thereby protecting them from the serious challenges and safeguarding issues that smartphones present.
As of June 2025, 140,810 pupils are protected by the Pact, and this is across 13,685 schools in the UK, Wow! Can you add to that number? Sign the Pact here.
Where do schools fit in?
We know the peer pressure around buying your child a smartphone. Schools want to help parents and children by (a) helping to spread the word about Smartphone Free Childhood, and (b) changing school rules to make it easier to resist the peer pressure of buying your child a phone.
What are the new rules?
- From September 2025, only pupils in Year 6 will be allowed to bring in a smartphone, although brick phones are still preferred. All other pupils must not bring in a smartphone at all. If necessary, a brick phone allowing voice calls and texts without internet access is allowed.
- From September 2026, no pupils will be allowed to bring in a smartphone. If necessary, a brick phone can be brought in to school.
- For pupils in Years R-4 we are not expecting the need to bring in mobile phones of any type.
- Any phone that is brought in must be handed in upon arrival and will be stored securely by school staff and returned to the pupil when leaving. These phones will not be used during the school day and must be turned off whilst at school.
- If there is a medical reason why a child requires a smartphone, this must be discussed with the Headteacher first.
(See our Smartphone-free School Policy below)
Where can I buy a brick phone?
Brick phones are phones that are not internet enabled. They still allow calls and texts. They are cheap to buy, too (Amazon, Argos). No data needed for your SIM card. ASDA mobile sell these, for example.