Full list of schools signed up to smartphone-free pledge in GM

More than 200 schools in Greater Manchester are on the list with Park View Primary School in Prestwich topping it after 96 parents vowed not to give their children smartphones until they reach the end of Year 9.

That is almost double the number of pledges of any of the 201 schools, which are on the Smartphone Free Childhood leaderboard.

The grassroots movement is gaining traction, receiving support from 34,780 parents at 6,357 schools since it was set up earlier this year.

Its main goals to grow the national conversation about the harms of smartphones for children, to empower parents and schools to take collective action and create change at a local level and to put pressure on government and tech companies to help protect children.

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Heaton Park Primary School in Whitefield has 10 pledges and Lowercroft Primary School in Bury has four, while Greenmount Primary School and Hazelhurst Community Primary School in Ramsbottom both have three sign ups.

Parent and clinical psychologist, Dr Gemma Culverwell-Bolger, has two children, aged six and seven, who attend Park View and is one of the parents supporting the campaign.

She said: “I first saw it on social media and so followed the page and found it really interesting.

“As a clinical psychologist, I have regular conversations with families about this topic along with my own friends and family members.

“I don’t think there should be a complete ban on phones for young people, I do think we should be protecting them to help ensure good development.

“I’m not judging parents either. We’re the first generation of parenting raising children with access to smartphones and learning as we go, finding our own way.

"The research is limited but there are studies showing links between increased use of apps and social media and poor mental health, especially for girls. There are also links with interrupted sleep and academic achievement.

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“Children, particularly of primary school age could be missing other opportunities such as being outside or enjoying face to face family time if they are given smartphones so early."

Park View Primary School in Prestwich (Image: Google Maps)

Dr Culverwell-Bolger explained she will continue to have these conversations with her own children as they grow up.

She championed the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign for providing parents with valuable toolkits and support around topics such as how to handle peer pressure.

She added: “My own children are far too young for it but we have regular conversions at home around using smart phones.

"We’re very open about why, the pros and cons and such when they see friends with them. I explain that other families make their own decisions.”

A spokesperson for Park View said: “There are lots for parents and carers to consider regarding giving their child access to smartphones – and it is understandable that there are such strong and differing views about it.

“As the pledge shows, we have a considerable number of parents who do not want their child to have access to such devices.

“We also have a similar number who feel it is important that their child has a smartphone, partly as a safety measure for when their child walks to and from school, but also as they recognise that such technology is going to be an inevitable part of their future.

“Ultimately, we wholly respect the choices that our parents and carers make for their child. It is right, however, that we put in place policies and processes to ensure that phones don’t disrupt learning and social development during school time.

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“All children with a phone are requested to hand their devices in at the beginning of the school day. The phones are stored in a secure area and children are handed back their phones as they leave by their teacher.”

The campaign was established in February by two friends who set up a WhatsApp group to support each other in the decision to hold off on buying their kids smartphones.

Within 24 hours, thousands of other parents had joined the group after an Instagram post about it went viral.

The initial group quickly maxed out at 1,000 members, so they encouraged people to set up local groups to build the conversation in their areas.

Within hours, more than 60 Smartphone Free Childhood WhatsApp groups had launched in the UK, kicking off a national conversation about the harms of smartphones for children.

The full list of Greater Manchester schools, alongside the number of pledges for each one, is below:

• Park View Primary School, Prestwich           96
• Beaver Road Primary School, Didsbury       49
• Manchester High School for Girls, Fallowfield        43
• Pownall Green Primary School, Bramhall   41
• Ludworth Primary School, Marple Bridge   37
• Oswald Road Primary School, Chorlton-cum-Hardy          30
• Norris Bank Primary School, Heaton Norris             29
• Markland Hill Primary School, Markland Hill           27
• Oak Tree Primary School, Cheadle Hulme  21
• Didsbury Road Primary School, Heaton Mersey     21
• St Thomas' CE Primary School, Heaton Chapel     21
• Chorlton Park Primary, Chorlton-cum-Hardy          17
• Oldfield Brow Primary School, Altrincham               16
• St Joseph's RC Primary School, Sale             15
• Brookburn Community School, Chorlton-cum-Hardy       14
• St Mary's CE Primary School, Prestwich      13
• St Vincent's RC Primary School, Altrincham            13
• Moss Park Primary School, Stretford            13
• St Bede's College, Whalley Range   12
• St Phillip's RC Primary School, Higher Broughton  12
• St John Fisher RC Primary School, Haughton Green           11
• Hursthead Junior School, Cheadle Hulme  11
• Broadoak Primary School, Swinton               11
• Chorlton CE Primary School, Chorlton-cum-Hardy            11
• Manchester Grammar School, Rusholme  10
• Heaton Park Primary School, Whitefield     10
• Urmston Primary School, Urmston  10
• Didsbury CE Primary School, Didsbury       10
• Cringle Brook Primary School, Levenshulme           8
• West Didsbury CE Primary School, West Didsbury             8
• Heyes Lane Primary School, Timperley       8
• Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Dobcross  8
• Green End Primary School, Burnage             8
• Navigation Primary School, Altrincham       7
• Bowdon CE Primary School, Bowdon           7
• Manley Park Primary School, Whalley Range           7
• Not yet at school        7
• The Deans Primary School, Swinton             6
• Bollin Primary School, Bowdon         6
• Chorlton High School, Chorlton-cum-Hardy           6
• St Catherine's RC Primary School, Didsbury           6
• Forest Park Preparatory School, Ashton upon Mersey       5
• Park Road Academy Primary School, Timperley     5
• Cavendish Primary School, West Didsbury              5
• CHS South, Chorlton-cum-Hardy    5
• Priestnall School, Heaton Mersey    5
• Cheadle Hulme Primary School, Cheadle Hulme  5
• Cheadle RC Junior School, Cheadle Hulme             4
• St Mary's RC Academy, Marple Bridge          4
• Lowercroft Primary School, Bury      4
• Norbury Hall Primary School, Hazel Grove               4
• St James' RC Primary School, Orrell              4
• Fir Bank Primary School, Royton      4
• Willows Primary School, Timperley               4
• Hindley Green Community Primary School, Hindley Green           4
• Victoria Park Infant School, Stretford            4
• Victoria Park Junior School, Stretford           4
• St Mary's RC Primary School, Levenshulme            4
• Parrs Wood High School, East Didsbury      4
• Ladybrook Primary School, Bramhall           4
• St Thomas' CE Primary School, Stockport  3
• Highfield Primary School, Urmston               3
• Lostock Primary School, Lostock     3
• Norden Community Primary School, Norden          3
• Canon Burrows CE Primary School, Ashton-under-Lyne  3
• Park Road Sale Primary School, Sale            3
• Hazlehurst Community Primary School, Ramsbottom     3
• Whittaker Moss Primary School, Norden    3
• St Thomas' CE Primary School, Ashton-in-Makerfield       3
• Covenant Christian School, Heaton Moor  3
• Hursthead Infant School, Cheadle Hulme  3
• Northenden Community School, Northenden        3
• Ashton-on-Mersey School, Sale       3
• All Saints CE Primary School, Marple           3
• St Andrew's CE Primary School, Levenshulme       3
• Withington Girls' School, Fallowfield            3
• Flixton Primary School, Flixton          3
• Stamford Park Primary School, Hale             3
• King David Primary School, Crumpsall        3
• Lime Tree Primary Academy, Sale    3
• Dowson Primary Academy, Hyde     3
• St John's RC Primary School, Chorlton-cum-Hardy            2
• Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Bowdon     2
• Mellor Primary School, Mellor           2
• Hopwood Community Primary School, Heywood  2
• Mauldeth Road Primary School, Withington            2
• St Chad's CE Primary School, Uppermill     2
• Manchester Muslim Preparatory School, Withington         2
• Firs Primary School, Sale      2
• St Mary's CE Primary School, Sale  2
• Woodhey High School, Ramsbottom            2
• St Hugh's RC Primary School, Timperley     2
• Twelve Apostles RC Primary School, Leigh               2
• Altrincham Preparatory School, Bowdon    2
• Cloverlea Primary School, Timperley            2
• Our Lady's RC Primary School, Whalley Range      2
• Boothstown Methodist Primary School, Boothstown         2
• Irlam Endowed Primary School, Irlam          2
• Higher Lane Primary School, Whitefield      2
• Delph Primary School, Delph            2
• St Michael's CE Primary School, Alkrington             2
• Christ The King RC Primary School, Newton Heath             2
• Holden Clough Community Primary School, Ashton-under-Lyne               2
• Greswell Primary School and Nursery, Denton       2
• Nevill Road Infant School, Bramhall              2
• Trinity CE High School, Hulme           2
• Gatley Primary School, Gatley           2
• Greenfield Primary School, Greenfield        2
• Hale Preparatory School, Hale          2
• Altrincham College, Timperley          2
• St Joseph's RC Primary School, Ramsbottom         2
• St Winifred's RC Primary School, Heaton Mersey  2
• Holcombe Brook Primary School, Holcombe Brook           2
• Blackshaw Lane Primary School, Royton    2
• Forest School, Timperley       2
• Davyhulme Primary School, Davyhulme     2
• St Bede Academy, Bolton      2
• Horwich Parish CE Primary School, Horwich          2
• Rose Hill Primary School, Marple     2
• RL Hughes Primary School, Ashton-in-Makerfield               2
• St James' CE Primary School, Westhoughton          2
• Stockport Grammar School, Heaviley          2
• All Saints' CE Primary School, Whitefield   2
• St Paul's CE Primary School, Withington     2
• Queensgate Primary School, Bramhall        1
• Moorlands Junior School, Sale          1
• St Ambrose Barlow RC Primary School, Astley       1
• Urmston Grammar Academy, Urmston       1
• St Mary's RC Primary School, Swinton         1
• Madrasatul Imam Muhammad Zakariya, Bolton    1
• James Brindley Community Primary School, Walkden      1
• The Heys Primary School, Ashton-under-Lyne        1
• Brooklands Primary School, Sale     1
• River View Primary School, Salford  1
• Claypool Primary School, Horwich  1
• St Matthew's CE Primary School, Chadderton        1
• St Luke's RC Primary School, Irlams o' th' Height  1
• Moorside Primary School, Droylsden           1
• Inscape House School, Cheadle      1
• St Anthony's RC Primary School, Wythenshawe    1
• Sale High School, Sale           1
• St Andrew's CE Primary School, Boothstown          1
• Manchester Enterprise Academy Central, Levenshulme  1
• Abbey College, Manchester city centre       1
• Bury Grammar School (Girls), Bury  1
• Tithe Barn Primary School, Heaton Mersey              1
• Bridgewater School, Worsley             1
• Didsbury High School, West Didsbury         1
• St John's CE Primary School, Heaton Mersey          1
• Holy Family RC Primary School, Wigan       1
• Woodhey High School            1
• Butterstile Primary School, Prestwich          1
• Nevill Road Junior School, Bramhall             1
• St Joseph's RC Primary School, Mossley     1
• Wellfield Junior School, Sale              1
• Standish Community High School, Standish           1
• St Mary's CE Primary School, Cadishead   1
• Ladybarn Primary School, Withington          1
• Greave Primary School, Woodley     1
• St Saviour CE Primary School, Ringley         1
• Monton Green Primary School, Monton, Eccles     1
• Kentmere Primary Academy, Smallbridge  1
• Chetham's School of Music, Manchester city centre         1
• St Ambrose College, Hale Barns      1
• Standish St Wilfrid's CE Primary Academy, Standish         1
• Stretford Grammar School, Stretford            1
• Moss Hey Primary School, Bramhall             1
• Holy Family RC Primary School, Sale           1
• Moorside Primary School, Swinton  1
• Elms Bank, Whitefield            1
• Homeschool  1
• Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College, Altrincham    1
• Romiley Primary School, Romiley    1
• Meadowbank Primary School, Cheadle      1
• Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Littleborough         1
• English Martyrs RC Primary School, Urmston         1
• Hollingworth Academy, Milnrow       1
• Bramhall High School, Bramhall      1
• Milton St John's CE Primary School, Mossley          1
• Stretford High School, Stretford        1
• Cale Green Primary School, Shaw Heath   1
• North Cestrian School, Altrincham  1
• Elton Community Primary School, Bury      1
• Cheadle Hulme School, Cheadle Hulme    1
• Hollins Grundy Primary School, Hollins      1
• Grosvenor Road Primary School, Swinton  1
• Altrincham CE Primary School, Altrincham              1
• St Anne's CE Lydgate Primary School, Grasscroft  1
• Springfield Primary School, Sale      1
• Abingdon Primary School, Reddish               1
• Garrett Hall Primary School, Tyldesley         1
• St Phillip's CE Primary School, Salford         1
• Wilbraham Primary School, Fallowfield      1
• Wright Robinson College, Gorton     1
• Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Bowdon     1
• Broad Oak Primary School, East Didsbury  1
• St Patrick's RC Primary School, Collyhurst               1
• Denton West End Primary School, Denton               1
• Woodford Primary School, Woodford           1
• Templemoor Infant and Nursery School, Sale         1
• Holy Family RC Primary School, Boothstown          1