Last week, a group of parents attended the second in our series of workshops focused on smartphone use and digital wellbeing. These sessions form part of a wider conversation taking place across the School, involving pupils, staff and parents alike.
The workshop began with two Sixth Form pupils sharing their reflections on a recent two-week phone detox. They spoke openly about the challenges of being without their devices, but also highlighted the benefits of increased focus, better sleep and more meaningful in-person interactions. Their honest and relatable insights offered parents a valuable window into the digital habits and pressures faced by young people today.
Mrs Thorpe then introduced some of the content from the latest “Why do we take your phones off you?” sessions, which are part of the School’s Wellbeing, Identity and Thinking (WIT) programme. These sessions, delivered to First and Second Form pupils, sparked some thoughtful and self-aware responses.
One key slide shared with parents, titled Time to engage your inner parent, captured the pupils’ suggestions for managing phone use in a healthy and responsible way. These included:
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Limiting screen time to between one and three hours per day
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Sticking to age restrictions for apps and social media platforms
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Avoiding the sending of harmful photos
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Enabling parental control and visibility of apps
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Only connecting with people personally known on social media
The session prompted valuable discussion and reflection among the parent group, highlighting the importance of ongoing, collaborative conversations around young people’s digital lives.
We look forward to welcoming more parents to the next event in this important series.