Hampshire Primary Schools Collective Letter
30th January 2026
Dear Parents/guardians,
Hampshire Primary Schools Collective Letter
We are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of smartphones on our children.
Smartphones are a big part of life today. Most adults have one. They are a fantastic tool for finding information and staying connected with family and friends.
However, there is now an alarming amount of evidence and research of the negative effects of smartphones and social media on children and teenagers.
These include:
- Poor mental health, such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
- Issues with cyberbullying, attention, focus and sleep.
- Exposure to dangerous and harmful content, and inappropriate material.
- Opportunity cost: Smartphones can be highly addictive, and hours spent on a device reduces time spent playing, interacting and developing vital social skills.
Children often get their first phone in primary school and over 90% of 12-year-olds now have a smartphone. This period is crucial for brain development. A major study found that the younger a child gets a smartphone, the worse their mental health will be.
Schools are in a powerful position to change the norm, and support parents on this difficult issue.
That’s why Hampshire primary schools are now coming together to take collective action and commit to making Hampshire primary schools genuinely smartphone free. From our point of view, our school has always been a smartphone free zone and this will absolutely continue to be the case.
We are also encouraging all parents, who have not yet purchased a phone for their child already, to delay giving a smartphone to them until they are at least 14 years old and to delay allowing their children access to social media until age 16.
We would like to work together with parents to safeguard children and preserve childhood. By doing so, we can not only protect our children’s mental health and wellbeing, but we can also set a standard for how communities can come together to challenge the norms that no longer serve our children.
If you would like to find out more about support for parents who want their children to be smartphone free, do please visit Smartphone Free Childhood. Here you can sign the Parent pact. This allows parents to come together in delaying giving a smartphone to their children, until the end of Year 9. You can find a list of non-smart phones here. Yours sincerely,
Matthew Kirk
Headteacher
Hampshire schools who have pledged to keep primary schools smartphone free.
Amport CE (Aided) Primary School
Alton Infant School, Alton
Andover C of E Primary, Andover
Andrews’ Endowed CE Primary School, Holybourne
Anstey Junior School, Alton
Anton Junior School, Andover
Appleshaw St Peter’s CE Primary, Andover
Balksbury School, Andover
Beaulieu Village Primary School, New Forest
Bentley CE Primary School, Alton
Berewood Primary School, Waterlooville
Binsted CE Primary School, Binsted
Bishop’s Waltham Infant School, Bishop’s Waltham
Bishop’s Waltham Junior School, Bishop’s Waltham
Blackfield Primary and Nursery School, Southampton
Boorley Park Primary School, Southampton
Breamore CE Primary School, Fordingbridge
Brockhurst Primary School, Gosport
Buriton Primary School, Petersfield
Bursledon Schools Federation, Southampton
Buryfields Infant School, Hook
Calmore Infant school, Southampton
Calmore Junior school, Southampton
Castle Hill Primary School, Basingstoke
Chalk Ridge Primary School, Basingstoke
Chawton CE Primary School, Chawton
Cheriton Primary School, Cheriton
Clatford Primary School, Andover
Compton C of E Primary School, Winchester
Cornerstone Church of England Primary School, Whiteley
Cove Infant School, Farnborough
Cranford Park Primary School, Yateley
Curdridge Primary School, Southampton
Dogmersfield CE Primary School, Hook
East Meon Primary School, East Meon
Elvetham Heath Primary School, Fleet
Endeavour School, Andover
Fleet Infant School, Fleet
Frogmore Infant School, Camberley
Froxfield Primary School, Petersfield
Grateley Primary School, Andover
Green Oaks Federation, Hartley Wintney
Hale Primary School, Fordingbridge
Hambledon Primary School, Waterlooville
Heatherside Junior School, Fleet
Hook Junior School, Hook
Hurstbourne Tarrant School, Andover
Hyde CE Primary School, Fordingbridge
Icknield Primary School, Andover
Itchen Abbas Primary School, Winchester
Kimpton, Thruxton & Fyfield CE Primary, Andover
Kings Furlong Junior School, Basingstoke
Knights Enham Junior School, Andover
Langrish Primary School, Petersfield
Longparish Primary School, Andover
Mayhill Junior School, Hook.
Meonstoke Infants, Southampton
Milford on Sea CE Primary School, Lymington
Netley Abbey Infant School, Southampton
Netley Abbey Junior School, Southampton
Newton Soberton Infants, Fareham
Norman Gate Primary School, Andover
Norwood Primary and Pre-School, Eastleigh
North Farnborough Infant School, Farnborough
Orchard Junior School, New Forest
Parsonage Farm Nursery and Infant School, Farnborough
Padnell Infants School, Waterlooville
Petersfield Infant School, Petersfield
Petersgate Infant School, Waterlooville
Pilgrims' Cross CE Primary School, Andover
Portway Infant School, Andover
Portway Junior School, Andover
Queen’s Inclosure Primary School, Waterlooville
Roman Way Primary School, Andover
Romsey Primary School, Romsey
Rowledge C of E Primary School, Rowledge, Farnham
Saint James Church of England Primary School, Southampton
Selborne Primary School, Alton
Sarisbury C of E Junior School, Sarisbury Green
Scantabout Primary School, Eastleigh
Sheet Primary School, Petersfield
South Baddesley Primary School, Lymington
South Farnborough Infant School, Farnborough
South Farnborough Junior School, Farnborough
Southwood Infant School, Farnborough
Sparsholt C of E Primary School, Winchester
St Bede CofE Primary School, Winchester
St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Farnborough
St. Faith’s C of E Primary School, Winchester
St John the Baptist School, Andover
St Jude's Catholic Primary School, Fareham
St. Lawrence CE Primary School, Alton
St Luke’s CE Primary School, Lymington
St. Mark’s C of E Primary School, Basingstoke
St. Mary’s Bentworth CE Primary School, Alton
St. Michael’s Church of England Infant School, Aldershot
St Nicholas' School, Fleet
Stockbridge Primary School, Stockbridge
St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, Farnborough
Steep Primary School, Binsted
Tadley Primary School, Tadley
Talavera Infant School, Aldershot
Tavistock Infant School, Fleet
The Cambridge Primary School, Aldershot
The Mark Way School, Andover
Tweseldown Infant School, Fleet
Velmead Junior School, Fleet
Vernham Dean Gillum’s CE Primary, Andover
Wallop Primary School, Andover
Vigo Primary School, Andover
Weeke Primary School, Winchester
Wellstead Primary School, Southampton
Western CE Primary School, Winchester
Wootey Infant School, Alto