A total of 16 schools in East Devon have seen parents sign the pact to wait to give their child a smartphone until at least the end of Year 9 (age 14).

The figures from the website 'Smartphone Free Childhood' show 1,629 children have been affected and 227 schools countywide have signed the pact.

The full list of schools from which parents have signed the 'Smartphone Free Childhood' pact in Exmouth, Sidmouth and surrounding villages and towns.

  • 82 parents have signed up at St Peter's CE Primary School, Budleigh Salterton. 
  • 48 parents at St Peter's Preparatory School, Lympstone. 
  • 28 parents at The Topsham School, Topsham.
  • 26 parents at Sidbury CE Primary School, Sidbury. 
  • 18 parents in Sidmouth CE Primary School, Sidmouth.
  • 12 parents in Newton Poppleford Primary School, Newton Poppleford. 
  • Five parents in Exmouth Community College, Exmouth. 
  • Four parents at Sidmouth College, Sidmouth and Lympstone CE Primary School, Lympstone. 
  • Three parents in Ottery St Mary Primary School. 
  • Two parents at Woodbury Salterton CE Primary School and The Beacon CE Primary School. 
  • Two parents at Tipton St John CE Primary School. 
  • Two parents at The King's School, Ottery St Mary. 
  • And one parent at Drake's CE Primary School, East Budleigh. 

The petition was put together by grassroots movement 'Smartphone Free Childhood', who hope that the petition will push for a future of schools without smartphones.

Describing themselves as an accidental movement, friends and founders Daisy and Clare set up a WhatsApp group in February 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 by Daisy 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 across the length and breadth of Britain, kicking off a national conversation about the harms of smartphones for children.


'Smartphone Free Childhood' said: "We’re on mission to change the cultural norm that children are given smartphones, and challenge Big Tech’s ever-increasing colonisation of childhood."

It has three three clear goals: 
1. Growing the national conversation about the harms of smartphones for children.

2. Empowering parents and schools to take collective action and create change at a local level.

3. Putting pressure on government and tech companies to help us protect our children.

You can read more about the movement and follow the results of the petition here: www.SmartphoneFreeChildhood.co.uk