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Dear Parents
- Smartphone impact
- WhatsApp at Bridgewater
- Smartphone Free School from September 2025
- Mental Health
Smartphone Impact
When we first started giving smartphones to children, we didn’t understand their impact. Now, there is a growing body of evidence linking smartphone use with an array of harms. Smartphones are correlated with anxiety, depression and loneliness. They are a gateway to extreme content and unwanted communication. Research shows that smartphones affect academic performance, and many children show signs of behavioural addiction to their devices.
Please look at the latest evidence of the negative impact smartphones are having on 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.
It is not surprising that new research shows that the younger a child receives their first smartphone, the worse their mental health. And yet, the age children are getting their first smartphone is getting younger and younger. In the UK, a fifth of 3-4 year olds own their own device and 24% of 5-7 year-olds do.
WhatsApp at Bridgewater
I have spoken to all the Year 6 children today with the Year 6 team and Senior Leaders, however, this is a message for all the parents of the Upper Phase. After several recent incidents there have been further occasions of inappropriate phone use. Today we talked about how as parents you are trusting them to use their phones appropriately and they need to take responsibility for their actions. Even the most sensible children have found themselves making the wrong decisions over the years.
From tomorrow Year 5 and Year 6 children will hand their phones in to a member of the Year 6 team at the entrance gate area near the scooters where they will be handed over and kept securely until the end of the school day. Any child who does not hand in their phone but retains it, will have consequences put in place of which you will be informed, such as confiscation of the phone.
Smartphone Free School in September 2025
As part of an updated online policy, from September the children will not bring smartphone devices into school and we advocate that you purchase something similar to a 2G phone which is a call and message only phone. An example of this is on Amazon for £20.
Nokia 106 all carriers 4GB Dual Sim 2018 Dark Grey With LED Torch - FM Radio - Big Button Phone: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo
We are making the decision because more incidents happen just before school e.g. a group of children in school jumpers were being filmed by one child this week. Another key time for inappropriate use is as the children leave the school premises. To ensure fairness and consistency we will need your support to work together to keep the children as safe as possible.
Mental Health
Alongside the links at the top, this week’s Online Safety Newsletter (which is attached) is hard hitting and includes current research about the dangers of smart phones on young children’s mental health.
We all know this information but live in the hope that it won’t affect our children but as I said at the beginning it can happen to any child. Let’s reduce the risks and protect their wellbeing together.
Kind regards
Alison Harvey
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