Head Master, Gareth Parker-Jones, features in Their Future: The BSA Guide to Boarding Schools

Head Master, Gareth Parker-Jones, features in the latest edition of Their Future: The BSA Guide to Boarding Schools to discuss the use of smart phones amongst young people.

The article discusses research by Fluid Focus, which argues that the current level of scrolling on smart phones will amount to least 25 years of young people’s lives, highlighting the concerns about phone addiction and its effect on children’s wellbeing.

Gareth explains that at Rugby School there are strict rules on mobile phone access, including limiting new year 9 students to just one hour a week in their first term. While parents were expected to support the policy, the School were surprised to find students also welcomed the change. He adds that students quickly adapted to the new rules and became more sociable and engaged once phones were restricted.

Boarding school life, he explained, makes it easier to control phone access, especially at Rugby, where there is ‘full’ boarding. These restrictions allow students to build real-world friendships and take part in activities such as sport, music, drama and outdoor challenges. Without digital distractions, students learn teamwork, communication, and resilience through face-to-face interaction. Gareth argued that these experiences not only enrich education but also prepare young people for personal relationships and future workplaces.

However, he suggested the bigger challenge may lie with adults and their phone dependence, warning that meaningful conversations are too often disrupted by a glance at a screen.

Read the full article in the latest edition of Their Future: The BSA Guide to Boarding Schools Autumn 2025 or read the online version in the link below.