Smartphone Free
As of September 2025, The Grove Junior School has been a Smartphone-Free school. We have worked with a focus group of parents who felt passionately that implemented this policy would help children stay safer online and reduce some of the peer pressure that young people often feel when everyone around them is accessing an online device.
Please see the following links for more information and advice:
https://www.smartphonefreechildhood.org/
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/children-phones-online-safety/
Posters made by parent group at The Grove
Resources made by parents for parents:
Thanks for your interest in smartphone-free childhood! Here are some helpful links 😀
A 7-minute video on the dangers of smartphones and social media for our children’s mental health, and what we can do to help them navigate smartphones, social media and well-being.
The Internet Matters website dedicated to 'keeping children safe online'
- age-specific guides with advice for parents, including on parental controls
- information on a range of online issues ( online reputation, fake news, cyberbullying etc.)
The One Collective Power portal
- summary of recent relevant research on risks of smartphone/social media use
- information on smartphone alternatives and their pros & cons
- links to other helpful websites/organisations
Teched-off - loads of information about how to keep children safe online including:
- parental control guides for smartphones, wifi, apps and more
- tech-safe options (hard and software)
- helpful blog posts on various related topics
The Smartphone-free Childhood campaign
- The main website for this national campaign
- ‘Parent pact’ and other information