Going smartphone-free: policies from real schools

Schools are moving beyond ‘no see, no hear’ to remove smartphones from the school day completely. Here you'll find links to real policies from primary, secondary, and cluster groups, to help your school develop or refine its own approach.

Primary schools

Examples of how primary schools are setting clear expectations around smartphones by ensuring smart devices are kept off site, not just out of sight.

BHSA Junior School: this digital charter supports the school’s smartphone policy, establishing a collective partnership between the school, parents/carers, and pupils.

Coldfall Primary School: policy specifically dedicated to pupils’ personal electronic devices, including a devices agreement form for students and parents. The school provides additional information on how the policy supports pupils’ health and welfare on their website.

Cunningham Hill School: integrates the school’s approach to smartphones into their online safety and acceptable use policy, with a range of further support available to parents on their website.

Greenwood Primary School: Mobile phone policy that outlines acceptable use for pupils, staff, parents/carers, volunteers and visitors. The school has reinforced their policy with further support and resources on their website.

Weeke Primary School: Online safety and smartphone policy reinforced by the school’s ‘Purposeful Technology Digital Pledge’ and support resources for parents.  

Secondary schools

Examples of secondary schools taking a range of policy approaches, from ‘no smartphones on site’ to phasing policy change across year groups. 

Archer Academy: This ‘mobile phone and other devices’ acceptable user policy outlines the school’s approach to ‘no smartphones on site’, with a parental letter and consent form included. 

Fulham Boys School: The school’s brick phone only approach is integrated into their ‘ICT and Portable Devices’ policy, with details of the basic phone models permitted.

Kineton High School: This mobile phone policy outlines the conditions underpinning the school’s smartphone free approach, with a phased transition to brick phone only from Y7-9.  

Kingsbridge Community College: Smartphone free policy, permitting brick phones only, and outlines the rationale for the approach underpinned by academic research and evidence.

Hounsdown School: a smart devices policy that details the schools phased approach to policy change, transitioning from phones in lockers for current students, to brick only devices for incoming Y7 cohorts. 

The Misbourne: a rolling policy approach towards a smartphone-free school, permitting new Year 7 students to bring ‘basic phones’ on site only and continuing with a pouch approach for existing cohorts. 

Cluster schools

Braunton Learning Trust: a joint policy for ‘no smartphones on site’ including a secondary school and feeder primaries across a trust

Looking for templates to communicate your policy change to parents? Browse real examples of school letters from our Schools Network community.