A Childhood Without Phones:
Our ‘no personal smart device’ policy
What does the very best childhood look like?
Laughing face to face. Getting lost in a good book. Wonder. Mud under fingernails and fresh air in lungs. Presence. Tasting and seeing that God made the world good.
Ask any parent what they want for their child and you will hear something like this this.
But we all know that technology is making this version of childhood increasingly difficult.
Technology is a powerful tool in the hands of adults who are wise. We will teach our pupils how to use technology well - but only when it’s the right time for them. Because we believe that placing technology in children's hands too soon means the joy of their childhood is lost too soon.
A screen can be a helpful tool if it helps our children to flourish: a film on a Saturday with friends; a child watching her favourite programme while a parent cooks, both laughing at the same joke from opposite ends of the room.
What we want to protect children from is a screen in their pocket, following them wherever they go, used and watched where no parent can see it, and being the reason they miss out on life in all its fullness.
At The Fountain, every family makes the same commitment:
through the primary years, pupils do not have their own personal smartphone, tablet or other app-based device, at school or at home.
Why ask this of every family?
We know many families share the concerns we’ve highlighted above. Many families aspire to this commitment. But when your child is the only one in the class without a phone, your child feels left out, and your considered convictions are made to seem extreme.
In contrast, when your child belongs to a school where every family has made the same commitment, everyone is on the same page. No child is the odd one out. As a new school, we have the opportunity to set this culture from the start.
When we share our school commitment in parent interviews, the response is always the same. Relief, excitement, and then: it will be so much easier at home knowing everyone else has done the same.
We know that circumstances vary, so if you are ever considering a personal device for your child, it starts with a conversation with the Headmaster rather than with a rule.
A community walking together, in a different direction, towards the most joyful childhood we can give our children.