St Albans set to be first smartphone-free UK city for under-14s

St Albans is attempting to become the first British city to go smartphone-free for children under the age of 14.

A consortium of head teachers in the Hertfordshire city has written to parents asking them to delay buying high-tech devices for their children amid fears of damaging their mental health and academic success.

The consortium, made up of 20 out of the city’s 24 primary schools, wrote: “We encourage all parents to delay giving children a smartphone until they reach the age of 14, opting instead for a text/call phone alternative if necessary.

“As head teachers, we have committed to promoting our own schools as smartphone-free. We believe we can all work together across St Albans and join the growing movement across the country to change the ‘normal’ age that children are given smartphones.”

The parents were urged to “work together with a wide network of parents and schools to reset the expectation” from children who felt they were entitled to have smartphones.

The move follows numerous studies which suggest students who do not have mobile phones achieve higher grades at school compared to those who have them. It also follows research that has shown children as young as five are being given the devices.

Smartphone Free Campaign

The letter follows the increasingly popular Smartphone Free Childhood campaign which has been challenging how teachers and parents view the devices.

Earlier this year, Meta enraged many parents when it lowered the minimum age for Whatsapp users from 16 to 13 in the UK and EU.

Smartphone Free Childhood said the decision flew “in the face of the growing national demand for big tech to do more to protect our children”.

The consortium’s letter explains: “We understand the importance of being able to contact your child as they become more independent, walking to and from school, in order to give you peace of mind and for children to be able to call in emergencies.

“Children’s phones do not need to have access to the internet in order for you to keep them safe, however.

“The use of smartphones is now a feature of daily life for most adults and over the last few years, the age at which children are given their first smartphone has dropped significantly.

“We know that in our schools some children as young as Key Stage 1 have smartphones.”

Not an overnight success

Justine Elbourne-Cload, the executive head teacher of Cunningham Hill schools, told the BBC: “We understand this is not going to be an overnight success.

“But we think it’s going to be something that grows over the next few years. There has been such a positive response that we think this is really starting to take hold around St Albans.”

Ms Elbourne-Cload, who is also the co-chairman of the St Albans Primary Schools Consortium, admitted that some parents may resist the pleas to hold off giving children smartphones.

“There will always be parents who don’t agree for whatever reasons,” she added. “We’re trying to change the culture and we’re trying to change the expected norms.”

The head teacher said pupils had joined Whatsapp groups only to be bombarded with pornography and other inappropriate material.

In February, Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, promoted new government guidance to prohibit mobile phone use during the school day.