Blanket smartphone ban is a ‘moral decision’, says Maidenhead headteacher

The headteacher of Newlands Girls’ School says an imminent smartphone ban is a ‘moral decision’ to protect students, amid parental concerns raised on social media.

Under a new policy at the Farm Road School, students in Years 7 to 11 will not be allowed to bring a smartphone onto the site at any time from September 2026. 

Sixth Form students will continue to be permitted to use them.

Newlands was one of 57 schools in the Royal Borough to sign a pledge by the Smartphone Free Childhood movement in July 2025 to make smartphones inaccessible during the school day and encourage parents to delay giving children access to smartphone content.

Headteacher Jo Capon said the school will not use phone-locking pouches or storage systems during the day, arguing that ‘the message is then blurred’ about smartphone use.

The blanket ban has been met with mixed responses on social media, with parents concerned about children travelling to and from school, and the expense of trackers and brick phones to monitor them.

In a Facebook post with more than 100 comments, one read: “In my opinion, this feels less about student welfare and more like control. Parents should ultimately decide what their child carries.”

But the headteacher stresses that the policy is not about restriction for its own sake but a ‘moral decision’ to protect students.

“The biggest driver for this is for the safety and wellbeing of our students. We believe it’s our duty to do the very best by them,” Mrs Capon told the Advertiser.

“I make no apology for the fact that this will be more inconvenient. There are things we all use every day that make our lives easier, but that doesn't mean it's the right reason to carry them.

“We're not anti-technology, we're pro-childhood.

“Our moral duty as school leaders is to try to protect our students from being exposed to harmful content.

“One of the biggest instances of that happening is on the way to and from school.

“My mantra is you're only as secure as your most insecure friends.

“Even if a parent has great controls on their daughter’s smartphone, they just have to be with somebody who doesn’t, to lean over and show something they will never be able to unsee again.”

School is the only environment where some vulnerable pupils are shielded from constant online pressures, said Mrs Capon, citing their responsibility to protect children from the addictive pull of smartphone technology.

“The average time a teenager spends on their smartphones is 35 hours a week. That’s the equivalent of a full-time job,” she added.

Studies by the Smartphone Free Childhood movement suggest pupils achieve higher GCSE results, with some improving by one to two grades, in smartphone-free environments.

Students' perceptions are already changing, Mrs Capon said, and some are excited about these ‘slower technology routes’ for their own mental health, concentration and level of addiction.

“We've got an amazing school culture, and things are excellent as they are, but we do not know how many girls might be going to the toilet at break and checking a notification on their phone, even though they're not allowed,” Mrs Capon added.

“We don't see that many, but we know they've still got access, and that's what we're working to eradicate.”

Deputy head Andrew Morbey said the move will also 'nudge' the social norm of tracking students outside of the school premises.

“The reality is having smartphones doesn't make them safe, it just gives that illusion of safety," he added.

“What we don’t want is for the second they walk out of school, getting back to these incredibly highly addictive devices that are purpose-built for their attention.

“They might have to change the way they navigate Maidenhead and get the bus. We want them to leave school talking to each other, being aware of their surroundings and to nudge that norm.”

While acknowledging that smartphones have a place in modern society, Mrs Capon argued that this should be in later teenage years, when students are better equipped to manage what they might encounter online.

She said the ‘overwhelming majority' of parents and feeder primary schools have appreciated the decision, and they hope that, in time, fewer students will own a smartphone until they are older.

An internal survey conducted in June last year showed that almost 40 per cent of students reported spending five or more hours on their phones based on their screen time, and 41 per cent of parents would consider purchasing a brick phone.

“This is contextual, we’ve not just based it on a whim,” Mrs Capon said.

“Teaching them how to be safe and about dangers is vital, but we're going one step further to try and protect their safety while we can.”