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Welcome to Swanmore College

Dear Parent/Carer

We are delighted that your child has been offered a place with us in September 2025 and would like to formally welcome you to Swanmore College.

We understand that the process of moving from primary to secondary school is a huge educational milestone and we aim to be there to support you all, every step of the way.

After Easter, we will be in touch with a link and password to enable you to complete our online admission form, giving us all the details required for enrolment to Swanmore College.

In the meantime, we wanted to share some key dates with you:

Event

Date

Induction Day for Year 6

Thursday, 03 July 2025

First day for Year 7

Friday, 05 September 2025


Below is an important communication about the use of mobile phones at Swanmore College which we encourage you to share with your child.

We look forward to working in partnership with you to encourage and support your child to achieve their very best during their time at Swanmore College.

Kind regards

R K Jonathan
Headteacher

Year 7 2025 - Letter to parents and carers about mobile phones

17 March 2025

Dear Parent/Carer

New Year 7 pupils joining Swanmore College in September 2025

I hope your child is looking forward to joining Swanmore College in the Autumn. It is on this matter that I am writing to you with some advance notice of a change in our policy regarding smartphones and watches. After careful consideration and extensive discussions, we have decided to implement a policy that prohibits new Year 7 pupils from bringing smartphones/watches to Swanmore College.

This decision has not been made lightly, and we want to share the key reasons behind it, focusing on safeguarding and mental health concerns.

Safeguarding Concerns

Smartphones, while incredibly useful, can pose significant risks to the safety and well-being of our pupils. The unrestricted access to the internet and social media can and does expose children to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators. By limiting smartphone use, we aim to create a safer environment where pupils can focus on their learning without these potential threats.

Mental Health Concerns

There is growing evidence that excessive smartphone use can negatively impact mental health, particularly among young people. Constant connectivity and social media can lead to anxiety, depression, and a sense of inadequacy. These are conditions that have risen sharply within schools very recently. By reducing smartphone usage during school hours, we hope to foster a more positive and focused learning environment, encouraging face-to-face interactions and reducing the pressures associated with an online presence. We have also noticed that there has been a significant increase in pupils asking to go to the toilet during lesson time. Much of this is fuelled by the need for our children to respond to messages/watch social media reels that are being sent to them when they should be focussed on their learning.

Implementation

Starting from September 2025, pupils in Year 7 will not be allowed to bring smartphones/watches to Swanmore College. We understand that this may require adjustments for both pupils and parents/carers, and we are committed to supporting you through this transition. Should you need to contact your child during school hours, you can do so via our main number, and we will ensure that messages are relayed promptly.

One of the concerns you might have will be about contacting your child before/after school to check their whereabouts. To mitigate this safeguarding concern, we suggest that you purchase for your child one of the following non-smartphones.

You may choose a Nokia 105, Ushining Flip phone A series or an Oakcastle (links below). Mobile phones must be turned off when on the Swanmore College site. Any phone, other than the ones listed below, will be classified as a ‘prohibited item’ and will be confiscated, as per our current policy.

The above only applies to the new Year 7 pupils and not the rest of the college community, at present. This is a trial, and we will be monitoring several metrics across the college to determine if the approach is successful. Any phone that is seen or used, be it smart or not, will be confiscated by staff.

We are introducing this new approach with the support of our feeder/linked primary schools, who have been consulted throughout this decision. Our feeder/linked schools are Bishop's Waltham Junior School, Curdridge Primary School, Droxford Junior School, Hambledon Primary School, St John the Baptist CofE Primary School, Swanmore CE Aided Primary School and Wickham CE Primary.

We believe that this policy will contribute to a healthier, safer, and more productive school environment. There are some links below that support this view.

We appreciate your understanding and support in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us via enquiries@swanmore-sec.hants.sch.uk

Kind regards

R K Jonathan
Headteacher

Links to further information:

Links to information about the suggested mobile phones:

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