Introduction
We hope to provide essential information for parents and guardians to help navigate the complexities of the digital landscape. Technology is an incredibly powerful tool and, when used responsibly, assists all of us to access an invaluable range of resources. Understanding the importance of online safety, we encourage families to promote healthier habits and interactions when exploring the digital world.
The school aims to equip both students and parents with knowledge and resources that address the challenges posed by technology. This reflects our commitment to safeguarding our children’s well-being while allowing them to thrive in a digital world. Together, we can create a supportive framework that prioritizes the safety and development of our young learners.
Pupils, staff, governors and parents are asked to sign an ‘Acceptable Use Agreement’, which helps to strengthen this partnership. By signing an AUA, the person is agreeing to the Online Safety rules that we follow at school.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding online safety, please come into school and speak to our Executive Headteacher, Mrs Wallace, or Mrs Brooks, our Head of School. We have a duty to investigate incidents of unsafe and unacceptable use of technologies whether these happen during school time or out of school.
St Mary Immaculate is a smartphone-free environment for our children. Inspired by the research, evidence and noted impact that social media and smartphone technology is having on our children, the school has pledged to ban children bringing smartphones into school.
As part of a group of local schools, we have been working alongside Smartphone Free Childhood to consider how our schools can work together to help to raise awareness to protect our children’s childhoods whilst exploring the way that technology can be both helpful and harmful. Following the two, free LIVE sessions for parents in May and June, we took the decision to become a Smartphone Free School. From September 2025, children will be not be permitted to bring a smartphone to school.
Why are we becoming smartphone free?
To take the pressure and expectation away from parents to give smartphones to young children.
We understand that many parents do not want to give their child a smartphone but feel pressured to do so, due to social pressures and the peer pressure experienced by our children to have a smartphone in readiness for secondary school. Increasing numbers of parents are providing their children with a smartphone in Years 5 and 6, and even younger. Continual changes in technology mean it is incredibly difficult for parents to monitor these advances robustly, particularly ensuring children only use age-appropriate apps. We are experiencing an exponential increase in behaviour fall-outs and more serious concerns relating to children’s use of these apps. We have also seen an increase in children bringing smartphones to school who do not walk to/from school independently.
It is important that as the adults, we make the right decisions for children, based on what children need and not necessarily what they want.
To protect children from harm.
Research shows that many children show signs of behavioural addiction to smartphone devices. The latest evidence communicates the negative impact that use of smartphones can have for children. This powerful short film gives a good summary of the problem. For a longer watch, this talk from the Psychologist Jonathan Haidt gives a more detailed rundown of the evidence and is a powerful watch and presents how smartphones are experience blockers, distracting children from engaging in the real world. These clips are for adults to watch to inform their discussions with their children.
Research states that the average UK 12-year-old spends 29 hours a week, equivalent to a part-time job, on their smartphone. This leaves little time for the real-world activities and relationships that enable them to learn and practice essential life skills needed for the transition to adulthood. The younger a child receives a smartphone, the worse their mental health. A fifth of UK 3-4 year olds own their own device and 24% of 5-7 year-olds do. Smartphone Free Childhood encourage parents to sign up to the Parent Pledge which encourages parents/carers to delay giving their child a smartphone until they have completed Year 9.
What can replace smartphones?
When you decide to buy your child a phone, it does not have to be a smartphone. There are alternatives. If your child currently has a smartphone, there are simpler ‘first phones’ available that allow for calls and text only, with no internet, no app store and no social media.
Check out this blog for more details:
If you decide to use an Apple ‘airtag’ please let the office know so that we know to expect the alert on staff’s iPhones.
What does this mean for Year 5 and 6 children?
Only Year 5 and 6 children are allowed to walk or cycle to and from school independently or with friends. Particularly for these children, some parents currently provide a phone for their child to make contact with them.
From September 2025, children who walk or cycle to/from school independently or with friends will only be allowed to bring ‘first phone’ style phones to school. These can be stored in the classroom teacher desks. Any smartphones found to be brought into school will not be handed back to the child, but will be kept in the school office for parents to collect. Children who are brought to school and collected by an adult are not allowed to bring any type of phone into school.