The London school where pupils, teachers and parents spend a screen-free day

Laptops, monitors and tablets are all banned at Holy Family on screen-free Mondays. File: The Guardian

According to The Guardian, the school's deputy head said the screen-free days have been so successful that they have become a permanent part of the school's monthly calendar. According to her, the biggest surprise has been the enthusiastic participation of parents. After the first Screen-Free Monday, some parents sent the school photos of the activities they did together as a family that evening. Over time, this became a tradition, and now the school receives a flood of photos every month. The pictures show families playing card games, reading books, going for walks, or taking part in sports activities with their children.

The idea was introduced by Sophie Janashia, a Year 6 pupil at the school. She wanted children's views on smartphones and digital devices to be heard and proposed holding a completely screen-free school day. According to Sophie, it is very difficult for parents to get their children away from screens.

"We enjoy using screens, but sometimes we spend far too much time on them. This issue is important to me because I see people I know spending all their time in front of screens. As a result, even when we're together, we're not really together."

The initiative has also attracted the attention of other schools. Representatives from nearby schools have visited Holy Family to meet Sophie and her classmates and learn more about screen-free days and online safety.

The project has even drawn interest from government officials. Sophie recently met with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall to discuss restrictions on social media use for under-16s. Kanishka Narayan, the minister responsible for AI and online safety, has also visited the school and spoken with pupils. Sophie's classmates say they support the screen-free days and continue the habit at home.

According to the school leadership, the screen-free days have helped people think more carefully about the impact of screens on their daily lives. Rutherford said the initiative's greatest success has been the discussions it has sparked within the school and families, as well as the active involvement of parents.