Supporting Safe, Balanced Digital Lives at SCHS

30/01/2026

At Streatham & Clapham High School, technology plays an exciting and forward‑thinking role in school life. From the newly refurbished IT suite, complete with a podcast booth and robotics area, to enhanced videography equipment and the introduction of GCSE Engineering, SCHS is committed to preparing pupils for a tech‑driven future. But with these opportunities comes equal responsibility: ensuring pupils navigate their online worlds as safely as their physical ones. A key priority is that the appropriate use of technology supports the core values of the school; kindness, integrity, compassion and respect, and does not undermine the importance of developing strong interpersonal communication.

To support digital wellbeing, SCHS has adopted a clear and considered mobile phone policy for younger pupils. Recognising the potential risks of early, unfiltered smartphone use, SCHS asks that Year 7 and 8 pupils do not bring smartphones, or any internet‑enabled phone, into school. Instead, pupils may carry a simple “brick phone” without internet access, allowing them to call or text during their journey. All phones are securely stored in bespoke lockers during the school day until 15:55.

Beyond school hours, SCHS offers helpful guidance to families managing screen time at home. For Year 7, the school recommends a device curfew of 20:30 from Sunday to Thursday, along with a limit of two hours of device time on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. SCHS also advises that pupils up to the end of Year 10 avoid having devices in their bedrooms overnight. These suggestions are advisory rather than prescriptive, acknowledging the challenges many families face when navigating phone use.

Increasingly, SCHS parents are joining the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’ movement, choosing to delay providing smartphones altogether. Through a shared, community‑led approach, SCHS aims to foster healthier digital habits, helping pupils stay safe, present, and balanced as they grow into confident digital citizens.

Most recently, following a petition started by ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’, the government has launched a three-month consultation to explore banning social media for children under 16. The initiative includes stricter school phone bans, potential legal age restrictions, and new screen time guidance for children, aiming to improve mental health. SCHS welcomes this review and we await further guidance from the outcome.

This follows the Education Secretary’s announcement earlier this week outlining plans to prohibit mobile phone use throughout the entire school day in England, including lessons, break times and lunchtime.

Regardless of any statutory changes, as a school we place a strong emphasis on wellbeing of our students, offering resources and programmes that promote mental health, resilience and a balanced lifestyle.