Worthing School Joins Smartphone Free Childhood Campaign

Homefield Primary School in Worthing has joined a nationwide campaign to promote a smartphone-free childhood, encouraging parents to delay giving their children smartphones until the end of Year 9.

The campaign, known as Smartphone Free Childhood, urges parents to sign a pact to collectively delay their children’s first smartphone. Paul Barnard, head of pastoral care at Homefield Primary, highlighted the growing concern over smartphone use, noting the challenges even adults face in regulating their screen time.

Recent polling by ParentKind found that 94% of parents of primary school children believe smartphones are harmful, but only 11% of children are smartphone-free by age 12. Over 30,000 parents have already signed the pact, including those from 200 schools across the UK.