Hear from our Group Director of EdTech and Vice Principal on how we use technology to enhance learning at Berkhamsted Schools Group
Our Approach to Technology
Pro Tech – Pro Boundaries
We are a smartphone-free school. A smartphone is defined as any phone that has a camera and/or access to the internet/social media
The Journey so far
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In 2023, we first introduced Yondr: lockable pouches that sealed pupils’ phones from access during the school day.
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After further discussions with Dr Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, parent focus groups, and additional research, we made the decision to become a smartphone-free school.
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In September 2024, we launched smartphone-free learning in our Prep School.
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In September 2025, we introduced our first smartphone-free cohort of Year 7s.
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We now use the Yondr phone pouch system for all pupils in Years 7 to 11.
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From 2026, Years 7 and 8 will both be smartphone-free.
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From September 2027, Years 7, 8, and 9 will all be smartphone-free.
Listen to our Podcast Episode to Find Out More
237
smartphone notifications
The average teen gets 237 notifications a day — one every few minutes.
3+
hours on social media
Spending more than 3 hours a day online doubles teens’ chances of anxiety and depression.
73%
of parents
say excessive smartphone use is a source of family conflict.
Since the launch of the iPhone, the amount of time teens spend with friends has dropped 65%. At Berkhamsted, lunchtimes are now spent talking to friends, playing sport, and exploring passions in new extracurriculars.
“The introduction of Yondr has significantly simplified the school day, with improved relationships between pupils and a healthier approach to managing time and attention online. Jo Vila, Headteacher, Berkhamsted Girls”
– Jo Vila, Headteacher, Berkhamsted Girls
Why Berkhamsted has made the change
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In 2024, Policy Exchange found that children at smartphone-free schools achieved GCSE results one to two grades higher.
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Our 2025 cohort examination results were record-breaking.
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Building digital resilience by recognising the importance of a healthy balance between being pro-technology and setting boundaries.
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Character education focused on developing pupils’ social skills beyond smartphone use.
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Enabling high participation levels in sport.
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Promoting better focus, improved sleep, and more engaged individuals.
VIEW OUR EXAMINATION RESULTS
I have begun to use my phone less in the evenings after school. This means I get my homework done more efficiently, which is the biggest positive I have felt from Yondr Pouches. It has inspired me to create a rule for myself, in which I don’t take my phone out of my school bag until I complete my homework.
Theo, House Prefect
How We Use Technology to Inspire Learning
Hear from our Group Director of EdTech, Jo Hughes, on how we use technology to enhance learning at Berkhamsted Schools Group
The Research
Uni of Birmingham 2025, Average UK teen spends 35 hours a week on their phone – equivalent to a full-time job.
Teens who spend more than 3hrs a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression.
1 in 4 children have a smartphone addiction, using it to the detriment of other activities.
Among children 8 -17 who are bullied, 8 in 10 experience it through a device.
What We’ve Done
Yondr pouches mean no access to phones while on site.
Roll out of smartphone-free school. Encouraging parents to purchase a non-smartphone which only allows calls and texts for safety purposes and
ensures the restriction of access to social content.
Throughout the academic year pupils will have form tutor discussions and PSHE lessons about the benefits of being smartphone-free.
How Berkhamsted pupils are benefitting:
- Building digital literacy – thinking critically about phone use, social media and the effect on oneself.
- Building digital resilience – the ability to disconnect and maintain attention.
- Improved academic performance – public examinations results and value-added scores have improved. View our exam results here.
- Better social interactions in real life – building character and interpersonal skills.
- Childhood is preserved – young pupils now play table tennis, tag or hide and seek more than when smartphones were accessible in school.
“I felt that if pupils could hear about the benefits of Yondr pouches from their peers instead of teachers, they may be able to relate to and understand these benefits. Having your phone during school can make it tempting to text during break times instead of socialising in person. Yondr pouches prevent that.”
