Latest news with #ClareFernyhough
ITV News
11-07-2025
- General
- ITV News
More primary schools pledge to go smartphone free
A group of more than a hundred primary schools in Hampshire has collectively agreed to go smartphone free by the beginning of next year. Organisers from the Smartphone Free Childhood movement says 109 schools are taking part in the action, the biggest collective group since its campaign began last year. Smartphone Free Childhood says 31 more schools in the area are expected to come on board with the pledge in September 2026, taking the total number to 140. Schools in other parts of the country, such as St Albans in Hertfordshire and Enfield in North London, have made similar pledges. It comes amid growing concerns among health professionals, teachers and parents of the impact that too much unrestricted smartphone use, social media and screen time can have on children's mental health. Those in favour of the ban in the Hampshire schools say it marks a significant cultural shift in the fight against the impact of smartphone and social media use on children's wellbeing. Smartphone Free Childhood is a grassroots movement which launched last year. The cause encourages parents to delay giving their children smartphones, until at least the age of 14, and to restrict social media use until a child is 16. More than 150,000 signatures have now been added to an online pact by parents and carers across the UK, promising to follow that guidance. Organisers believe the collective movement will change 'the norm' to children being given basic phones as their first device, rather than a smartphone. 'This is a significant moment for Hampshire's school children," Clare Fernyhough, Founding Partner of Smartphone Free Childhood, who leads the campaign in Hampshire. "The average age a child receives their own smartphone is now around nine - so it's essential that primary schools lead the way on tackling this issue. "But smartphone free schools not only protect the school day -they also help shift the wider societal norms, by empowering parents to delay giving a device to their child. We hope this powerful example of collective action in Hampshire will inspire other counties to follow. "In the absence of government legislation, or tech companies changing their ways, it has been left to parents and schools to come together to protect this generation of children." Later this month the regulator Ofcom's Children's Safety Codes come into force, as part of the Online Safety Act. The codes cover areas including robust age checks for adult platforms and an end to harmful algorithms. If tech companies don't comply, they face hefty fines. The codes are yet to be fully tested in practice, but the regulator hopes they will prompt a shift in ensuring the online world is safer for children. Headteacher Jonathan Kirkham, of Weeke Primary School in Winchester, has spoken of the challenges he faces in school everyday due to children's use of smartphones. He said: 'I've been in teaching for 25 years. In the last decade, I've noticed a steady increase in problems linked to smartphones and social media. "Whether it's bullying on WhatsApp groups, access to extreme content, or reduced attention spans, these devices are impacting the very nature of childhood. "I took action because I felt I had no choice. I want my children to be safe when they come to school. This didn't feel possible when they were bringing smartphones.' Earlier this year Labour MP Josh MacAlister introduced his Safer Phones Bill which proposed a ban on smartphones in schools. Current government guidance is to restrict their use. However, the bill was watered down in March. It is now called the Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill ,with a debate resuming on the Private Members' Bill on Friday. Its main focus now is for more research on the impacts of smartphone use by children and a commitment from the Chief Medical Officer to publish advice for parents and carers. However, this change has prompted criticism from the Conservatives. Kit Malthouse, Conservative MP for North-West Hampshire, said: "The government missed a huge opportunity to improve the lives of young people when it bowed to pressure from big tech and watered down proposals to ban smartphones in schools nationwide. "Here in Hampshire, however, we are taking action. Headteachers, medical experts, and campaigners have joined forces to make our schools truly smartphone-free. "I've heard sobering accounts of children not just being distracted by their phones but experiencing anxiety, serious mental health struggles, and even suicidal thoughts. Some are exposed to deeply disturbing content, including violent videos.' A government spokesperson told ITV News: 'Schools already have the power to ban phones, and we support headteachers to take the necessary steps to prevent disruption, backed by our clear guidance on how to restrict their use. 'Even before the guidance was introduced around 97% of schools were restricting mobile phone use, but we know that there are wider issues with children's online experiences, which is why we are also bringing in better protections from harmful content through the Online Safety Act.'
BBC News
11-07-2025
- BBC News
Hampshire primary schools commit to going smartphone free
More than a hundred primary schools in Hampshire have announced they are committed to becoming completely smartphone free by January 2026.A hundred and fifteen schools have signed a collective letter that is due to go out to parents later. The initiative has been led by Smartphone Free Childhood, a grassroots movement encouraging all schools in Hampshire to take collective has raised concerns about the effect that smartphones can have on children's mental health, cyberbullying and being exposed to inappropriate material. One of the schools involved is Weeke Primary in Winchester, which headteacher Jonathan Kirkham said had made a commitment to work together with said: "We want to move towards giving children the opportunity to come to school without a smartphone, without a device that's, we believe, having an impact on them as individuals, as children."But one parent with a child at the school, Chelsea, said she could see some advantages of children using smartphones. She said: "Obviously not so much in school, but going on the way to school or home from school, ideally with iPhones and Samsung's, you can do Find my Friend if you child's not answering, and they've got their location on, you can see where they are."All the old 'brick' phones, you can't do that." 'Empowering parents' Clare Fernyhough is a founder of Smartphone Free Childhood and leads the campaign in Hampshire. She said: "This is a significant moment for Hampshire's school children. "The average age a child receives their own smartphone is now around nine - so it's essential that primary schools lead the way on tackling this issue."Making schools completely smartphone free gives children a break from the relentless burden of social media, and allows them at least six hours a day to focus, interact and enjoy their precious school years." "But smartphone free schools not only protect the school day - they also help shift the wider societal norms, by empowering parents to delay giving a device to their child. "We hope this powerful example of collective action in Hampshire will inspire other counties to follow. "In England, there are no laws about smartphone use in schools, however, the government has issued some guidance around it. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Guardian
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
I know judging other parents is wrong. But when it comes to giving kids smartphones, I'm a lost cause
Not all heroes wear capes; some have a box in their bedroom instead. Dragons' Den's Sara Davies says she confiscates her kids' friends' phones when they come round, so instead of sitting glued to their devices, they talk to each other and play together. 'I have a box at the front door … they put their phones and iPads in the box and it stays in my bedroom,' she told the Daily Mail. 'No one complains. They're outside playing football, they merge so much better – and they communicate.' Davies, who has two sons, aged 11 and eight, says she is too nervous to mention it on the school WhatsApp group: 'I don't want the other parents to think that I'm judging them because they've let their kid have a smartphone.' Of course she is judging them. We all do it. Smartphones have become the new parenting signifier. Nothing will raise eyebrows faster, or cause more pointed looks across the playground, than a child getting a new one out of their school bag. Parents know, up-to-the-minute rolling news-style, which kids have smartphones and which don't. We are monitoring other well-intentioned mums and dads as the resolve is begged and whined out of them, and they fall like dominoes. Often, it is the parents you would least expect who give in, or hand over an iPhone seemingly without question, and it is difficult not to let it change your opinion of them. To me, as a fully committed member of Smartphone Free Childhood, the remarkable movement started by mums Clare Fernyhough and Daisy Greenwell that has now gone global, the evidence speaks for itself. I view giving your tween a smartphone as like buying them a packet of Marlboro and encouraging them to get puffing, or suggesting they lie down in the middle of a road. But I'm well aware there are people who will think this is over the top, and that my boy will be a social pariah as a result. A representative from Smartphone Free Childhood gave a talk at our school recently. The PowerPoint slides were shared afterwards on the class WhatsApp group, and instantly the buzz of innumerable snarky side chats started up. Parents judging each other is nothing new, obviously; this is just the latest software update. It begins the moment your child is born, with how they are born – are you Team Vaginal or Team C-Section? Then, how you feed them – breast either is or isn't best. Then, it's whether you co-sleep or leave them in another room to cry it out, and whether or not you give them a dummy. Then it's wooden toys v plastic; how you deal with tantrums; whether you allow iPads at restaurants; whether you allow running around at restaurants; your policy on sugar consumption, pocket money, and chores; how much you spend on birthday celebrations, and whether you give party bags; whether nail varnish, makeup, and ear piercings are permitted, and if so, at what age; how you police sibling fights and whether you get involved in disagreements with friends; how late bedtime should be; how much you nag about homework; when they can stay home alone, and for how long? It's never-ending. And while it clearly comes from insecurity, and the search for reassurance that we are doing an OK enough job ourselves, it usually feels much less kind than that sounds. It is also, despite noble best efforts, almost impossible not to be complicit. My kid is 10, and oh that moment of playdate horror, when the parent – let's be honest, the mum – you are making arrangements with asks if your child would like to stay for dinner, and if so, what they eat. Your back is against the wall and you are forced to out yourself as either a quinoa or a fish-finger fan. There is no in between. (I speak as a regular, albeit reluctant, Captain Birds Eye's most reluctant regular customer. customer.) Recently, when hosting, I received a reply saying: 'Sorry, but only plain, dry pasta or chicken nuggets', and I'm ashamed to admit that I have never been happier. Responses you don't want to 'what do they eat?' (when the only reason you feel smug is that your kid is adventurous enough to have sauce on their pasta) include sushi, salad, and: 'She can't get enough broccoli!' I know, because I've had them all. Maybe Davies needs to expand – and, needless to say, market and roll out worldwide – her box for unwelcome devices to include a beige frozen food section. And, if my son has a problem with that, he can call and let me know. Polly Hudson is a freelance writer Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
