As you may be aware, secondary schools across Barking and Dagenham have informed all Year 7 pupils that smartphones will not be permitted in school from September 2025.
A smartphone is defined as any mobile phone that allows internet connectivity and the use of apps.
In support of this borough-wide decision, Valence will also be introducing a no-smartphone policy. To allow time for adjustments, this policy will come into effect at Valence from January 2026. If your child is currently in Year 5 or Year 6 and you believe they need a device that falls within the permitted guidelines, we will ask you to complete a permission form and agreement prior to January 2026.
Further information that has been communicated by the secondary schools:
If you feel your child needs a device for safety reasons, consider instead a phone without internet connectivity (a ‘brick’ phone) and an Airtag. A simple phone and an Airtag can be purchased for less than £50 and will allow communication and address any safety concerns you may have.
Currently all secondary schools ban the use of phones in school, but we are strengthening this to an absolute ban on the items being brought into school.
Why have we made this decision?
Although there are many benefits, there is increasing evidence that smartphone use has negative effects on the wellbeing & mental health of young people and poses a number of significant safeguarding risks. Smartphone use has been linked to impaired attention and focus, sleep deprivation, mental health issues, online bullying, exposure to harmful online content and people, increased risk of mugging, and increased loneliness and social isolation. We want young people to prioritise in-person interactions and to benefit from the stronger social skills, empathy and sense of community real-world interactions offer.
Whilst the use of phones is banned in school and children are protected from some of the issues outlined above these risks remain outside of school. We encourage all parents and carers to delay allowing children to have a smartphone at all until they are aged 14 or older (year 10), and to delay access to social media until age 16.
We know that many of you are keen to delay giving your child a smartphone at the age of 11, 12 or 13, so we hope that the position we are adopting as schools will support you in your decision to ask children to wait until they are older to get a smartphone.
We thank you in advance for your support with this.
