Letter sent to parents on 17th July 2025 re Smartphones 

Dear families,

Something to think about over the holidays.

We’re hearing more and more from parents who feel uneasy about the growing role of smartphones in children’s lives – especially as they enter the later years of primary and start secondary school. The reality is, these devices are becoming part of childhood far earlier than most of us expected.

While smartphones have their place, they were designed for adults – and there’s now clear evidence they’re not always good for children. From rising anxiety and sleep issues to online bullying and distraction, many families are questioning whether early smartphone use is really in children’s best interests.

That’s why we’re supporting a simple but powerful idea: the Parent Pact, part of the Smartphone Free Childhoodcampaign. It’s a growing national movement of families choosing to delay giving children smartphones until at least age 14, and social media until 16 – and doing it together, so no one feels like the only one holding out.

You can learn more and watch a short video, and if it feels right for your family, sign the Pact here. It’s already been signed by families at 45% of schools in the UK, and you can see live data for which schools have the most Pacts signed in our area.

As a school community, we’re lending our support to this movement – not because we believe there’s one right way to do things, but because we think this is an important conversation for all of us. We know that every family’s situation is different, and many of you may already have devices in your household – for your child or their siblings. It’s never too late to reset boundaries, build healthier screen habits, or take small steps toward a more balanced digital life. If you’re interested, we’re also sharing some helpful tips from Dr Rangan Chatterjee on how families can navigate this together.

But we also know that together, we can reset that expectation that kids have smartphones – and give children at this school more time to grow up without the pressure of constant connectivity.

We’re aware that many families want to be able to contact their children, especially as they begin walking to school alone. There are some great alternatives to smartphones that offer calls and texts, without internet access or social media. If you’re looking for ideas, have a look at this child-friendly phones guide for some simple phonesdesigned with kids in mind. 

Warm regards,

Sarah

Mrs Sarah Hillier

Headteacher

Checkendon CE (A) Primary School

Main Street

Checkendon

Oxon, RG8 0SR

Telephone 01491 680693

https://checkendon.oxon.sch.uk