About the project
Why do we need a Smartphone Free Schools Rating, and what do we hope to achieve?
For schools, children and parents
The Smartphone Free Schools Rating has been designed by headteachers to help schools become genuinely smartphone free.
Supporting schools
The rating system sets the standard for smartphone-free schools, supports schools to improve and celebrates their success.
Helping children thrive
Schools with effective smartphone-free polices enjoy better behaviour, better attendance and better results. The gold standard normalises delaying smartphones for children.
Informing parents
These standards allow parents to understand and compare policies. If schools are not yet on the map, parents can encourage them to register or make their own unverified submission.
Why the Smartphone Free Schools Rating?
For decades schools have had to evolve their ways of working in light of technological advances. However, since Covid a renewed spotlight has been shone upon the impact of smartphones and social media on young people.
What has also become apparent is the centrality of schools in addressing the negative consequences of this technology both during the school day, but also beyond.
Smartphone Free Schools Rating is a Headteacher led initiative that seeks to do two things:
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Firstly, it recognises the leaders within the education sector who are most effectively addressing the issue of smartphones and social media within their schools. Their actions have acted as a beacon to the rest of the sector as to what can be achieved and the positive impact of these actions.
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Secondly, we aim to empower every Headteacher in England and Wales to go as far as they possibly can in creating truly smartphone free schools and, in turn, smartphone free childhoods for every one one of their pupils.
How can we create smartphone free schools?
The Smartphone Free Schools Rating is a free smartphone policy listing that empowers every school leader to signpost to their peers as well as the wider school community exactly what their smartphone policy is. In doing so, schools gain accreditation at either 'Gold', 'Silver' or 'Bronze' level alongside articulating both the strengths of their current policy, but also how it is changing over time. So, for example, a school may self-certify that their policy is 'Bronze' but that over the next five years they are moving to 'Silver' or 'Gold'. This sign-posts to prospective parents and carers what the school's approach to smartphones is, and enables other local schools to collaborate and learn from their peers.
The aim of Smartphone Free Rating is for every school in England and Wales to achieve 'Gold' status by 2030.