Ardingly College

As technology continues to shape every aspect of our lives, the role of mobile phones in education, and in life, is becoming an increasingly complex issue. Nearly 97% of children own a mobile phone by the age of 12 While these devices can be invaluable tools for learning and communication, there’s growing concern over their impact on mental health, education, and overall well-being.

Stamford School is now a smartphone free space for children aged 11-16. At the start of the new academic year, Stamford School made its senior school, for children in Year 7 – 11, a smartphone free environment by introducing Yondr pouches. The Yondr system utilises a simple, secure, lockable pouch that stores a student’s phone. Something that is becoming more frequent at concerts, so that you focus on the music and don’t spend the event trying to record it.

The issue of how digital technology should be used in schools is very much an educational hot topic. Many educationalists argue that children need to be exposed to the technology that they will have to interact with in their adult lives and that the benefits of early exposure are self-evident in the digital literacy they acquire.