Smartphone-free schools commitment in Waltham Forest

A collective of 34 Waltham Forest schools have committed to becoming smartphone-free spaces from September 2026, supported by the Council and building on recently updated government guidance.

The commitment means that pupils at these schools will not be able to bring a smartphone into school. It will apply to primary school pupils and those starting secondary school in September 2026 and beyond – that is, initially Year 7s, then additional cohorts every year thereafter.

Reasons for going smartphone-free

There is increasing evidence that smartphone use has a significant negative impact on the health, wellbeing and safety of children and young people. 

Smartphone use by young people has been linked to multiple mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, as well as increased loneliness and social isolation. Studies have also shown it can also exacerbate sleep deprivation, online bullying, exposure to inappropriate content and people, and the risk of mugging.

Allowing schools to be a space free of smartphones encourages children and young people to prioritise in-person interactions, which will help them develop empathy, strengthen social skills and secure healthy real-world connections. 

The schools that have made this commitment are advising any parents who want their child to have a device for safety reasons to, instead of a smartphone, give their child a phone without internet connectivity, or a phone modified to remove access to internet or communications apps (otherwise known as ‘brick’ phones).

Committed schools

The 34 Waltham Forest schools who have made this joint commitment are as follows:

Primary

• Ainslie Wood Primary School, E4
• Chapel End Infant School and Early Years, E17
• Chase Lane Primary School, E4
• Chingford Church of England Primary School, E4
• Coppermill Primary School, E17
• Davies Lane, E11
• Downsell Primary School, E15
• Edinburgh Primary School, E17
• George Tomlinson Primary, E11
• Greenleaf Primary School, E17
• Gwyn Jones Primary, E11
• Handsworth Primary School, E4
• Henry Maynard Primary, E17
• Hillyfield Primary Academy, E17
• Lime Academy Larkswood, E4
• Longshaw Primary, E4
• Mayville Academy, E11
• Mission Grove Primary, E17
• Our Lady & St George's Catholic Primary School, E17
• Parkside Primary School, E4
• Selwyn Primary, E4
• South Grove Primary School, E17
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, E4
• St. Patrick's Catholic Primary, E17
• Stoneydown Park Primary School, E17
• The Jenny Hammond Primary School, E11
• The Winns, E17
• Whitehall Primary, E4
• Woodford Green Primary, IG8

Secondary

• Frederick Bremer, E17
• Heathcote School, E4
• Holy Family Catholic School & Sixth Form, E17
• Walthamstow School for Girls, E17 

Primary and Secondary

• Buxton School, E11