From September 2026, students in all year groups 7 – 11 will not be allowed to bring smartphones on to the Bohunt Wokingham school site. Any smartphone/ watch will be classified as a ‘prohibited item’ and will be confiscated until the end of the half term for later collection by parents/ guardians. All other non-smartphones (see below) must be switched off and kept in students’ bags during the school day.
With the increasing evidence showing the significant and emerging risks associated with younger students having smartphones an social media, in line with the upcoming ban and government guidance, we are strengthening our current policy. This means that all students in Years 7 to 11 from September 2026 will not be allowed to bring smartphones and smartwatches to Bohunt Wokingham at all.
Below I have outlined the reasons behind this policy, how it will work in practice and some suggestions to help parents navigate this change.
Why the change?
The short film ‘A Stolen Childhood’ (12 mins) is an excellent summary of the impacts of smartphones on school children.
How will it work?
From September 2026, students in all year groups 7 – 11 will not be allowed to bring smartphones on to the Bohunt Wokingham school site. Any smartphone will be classified as a ‘prohibited item’ and will be confiscated for later collection by parents, and the student will receive an appropriate sanction. All other non-smartphones (see below) must be switched off and kept in students’ bags during the school day.
Our PSHE (Personal Social Health and Economic) education programme contains lessons regarding the reasons for our smartphone policy, the risks associated with social media use and how students can keep themselves safe online.
What steps can I take as a parent?
We understand that this policy might require an adjustment for parents and we want to support families as much as we can with this transition. If you need to contact your child during the school day, you can do so via our school reception and student services. If you would like to be able to contact your child on their journey to and from school, or to check their whereabouts, we suggest the purchase of a cheap non-smartphone (a basic ‘brick’ phone – examples can be found on our website) without access to the internet, WhatsApp and social media. For location monitoring, parents are also able to attach trackers to these phones, such as AirTags or SmartTags.
We believe that this change will enable students to enjoy the multiple benefits of being completely smartphone free for over seven hours per day, including encouraging much healthier, face to face interaction on the way to and home from school. We also hope that this change will help to collectively support parents who are concerned about the potentially very negative impacts of smartphones on their children. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us via info@bohuntwokingham.com
Please click the button below to view our Smartphone Free FAQs:
Evidence Based Research Supporting Our Policy Change:
Smartphone Free Childhood: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/
Delay Smartphones: https://delaysmartphones.org.uk/
Online Safety Videos: https://www.knowsleyclcs.org.uk/online-safety-videos/
Helping Families Thrive in the Digital Age: https://www.papayaparents.com/
Netflix documentary ‘Social Dilemma’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaC57tcci0
Channel 4 documentary ‘Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones’: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/swiped-the-school-that-banned-smartphones
The Anxious Generation book and research by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com
Kids, Smartphone and Social Media – talk by Catherine Price:
