Doing what鈥檚 best for the children in our care often means asking tough questions. And for me, this year, it means making a meaningful change.
From August 2025, pupils at my school, , will no longer bring their own iPads or MacBooks to school. We will be retiring our 1:1 device policy in favour of something far richer: a learning environment rooted in discussion, creativity, deep thinking, and real-world connection.
When we first opened during the pandemic, devices were a lifeline.
We know this decision won鈥檛 please everyone, and that鈥檚 okay. It鈥檚 not about being trendy or nostalgic. It鈥檚 about what we know is right for primary-aged children, based on research, experience, and our values as a school.
When Phoenix House first opened during the pandemic, devices were a lifeline. They helped keep learning going through uncertain times and gave our pupils continuity and structure. But the world, and classrooms, have moved on. Now is the right time to reflect on the long-term role of technology in our children鈥檚 education.
And when we did, we started to notice patterns that caused concern – not just at Phoenix House, but across primary education more widely.
We began to see:
- A growing overreliance on gamified apps for motivation
- An increasing gap between digital praise (badges, stars) and real achievement
- Short attention spans and difficulty with slower, deeper tasks
- Frustration with activities that didn鈥檛 offer instant feedback
- A shift toward valuing app-generated scores over application in exercise books
This isn鈥檛 a crisis. Not yet. But it鈥檚 a warning. And it鈥檚 one we鈥檙e brave enough to act on.
Now is the right time to reflect on the long-term role of technology.
So, what does this change actually look like?
From next academic year, all core subjects – English, maths, Japanese, humanities, and the creative arts – will be taught using traditional tools: books, pencils, talk, and hands-on learning. These lessons will be entirely screen-free.
Homework will remain paper-based, following the success of our new model this year. We鈥檝e already seen the benefits: stronger handwriting, more independent thinking, and better retention of key skills. Most importantly, it鈥檚 helping children focus, slow down, and take pride in their progress.
But we鈥檙e not 鈥渁nti-tech.鈥 We鈥檙e anti-overuse. Technology will still play an important role at Phoenix House – just not a dominant one.
Here鈥檚 how we鈥檒l use it:
- In dedicated computing lessons (with a refreshed curriculum and excellent teaching)
- In high quality STEAM clubs and societies
We鈥檙e excited to be investing in this space, with the launch of a stronger STEAM focus, including:
- A specialist science teacher
- A specialist maths teacher
- An outstanding computing curriculum, from Prep 1 to Prep 6
By the time they leave Phoenix House, our children will be digitally fluent and coding-confident, ready to navigate the demands of the modern world with resilience and curiosity.
So why now?
Because primary school happens once.
If we don鈥檛 teach children to read books, write confidently with a pencil, speak clearly, and persist through challenges now, then when?
It鈥檚 helping children focus, slow down, and take pride in their progress.
Increasingly, our children are applying to selective senior schools in Japan and overseas. We know from experience that what truly sets pupils apart isn鈥檛 a digital portfolio, it鈥檚 character. It’s confidence in conversation, thoughtful answers in interviews, and the ability to express ideas clearly and respectfully. That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e preparing them for.
We are not stepping backwards. We鈥檙e stepping forward, into a more balanced, thoughtful, and purposeful approach to learning.
We will continue to walk the talk when it comes to our values. 鈥Do less, better鈥 has been our philosophy from the beginning and that鈥檚 not changing, because a strong foundation at primary school lasts a lifetime.
