What basic phone for secondary school?

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My son is starting secondary school and I want to get him a basic PAYG phone that it won’t be too much hassle if it gets lost/stolen. It will only be for calling in an emergency. He will leave his smartphone at home. Some have said don’t get a v basic one as muggers won’t believe that’s the only phone. Does anyone have any advice on which phone to go for please? Thank you.

Can you even get non-smartphones anymore?

Not sure about your DH's remark, that's a bit weird! But that aside, we have had success with the Nokia 'banana' phone for that age, the 8110. It's not too pricey and works well.

We were going to get a non-smartphone but talking to other parents or older boys there this isn't what anyone else does, and they all like to use their phones on the bus, so we bought a Samsung middle range one with good storage, I think it was about £250.

DS has a Tesco pay monthly £6.50 a month with calls/ texts and a small amount of data. Figured this was cheaper than buying a handset then top ups.

And oldish second hand iphone? Not the latest iPhone SE but a previous model? And insure it maybe if it's cheap to do.

Wouldn't look out of place and would have useful stuff like location sharing.

Bizarre. Just let him take his actual phone.

Getting him a crap phone is setting him up for ridicule. These things are important in secondary school. There’s no point in him having a decent phone if he can’t keep it with him.i guarantee you he will be plaguing you to take his own phone in.

DS just takes his regular smartphone, he had a Samsung Galaxy A10

DS used his to take pictures of work, spelling words, things like that rather than copying them down. Also to see homework set online.

For an 11yo, "muggers" will defo believe that it's the only phone, it's not at all unusual for young kids to have a dumb phone.

That said my 11yo takes his smartphone everywhere. If he already has a phone that's what I'd let him use.

He uses it to access maps and the tram network app in order to find his way around when he doesn't know where things are (granted we are in a country where it's normal for 11yos to have much more autonomy than the UK).

Pointless, just take his normal phone.

Smart phones are often used in school as part of lessons.

Also useful if students use public transport as they can check delays etc

The vast majority will have a smart phone of some sort. I'd be more worried about bullying.

Get an ordinary smartphone with at least 64GB as IMO anything below that won't cope with the Apps. Smartphones are so useful for Maps and Google. Often used in school to access Show My Homework etc. If you get some basic insurance to cover theft and damage you can have peace of mind. Can highly recommend Safe Lagoon so you can see all their texts/social media messages, internet search and you tube history.

Not sure about your DH's remark, that's a bit weird!

I'm confused. What remark?

Just let him take his normal phone. Kids with crap ones stand out so dd tells me and I agree that you're setting him up for ridicule.

Make sure it has a super tough armour case.

We got our DS a Nokia 3310 in Y6 because he was walking home from school and needed to be able to call us. We said we'd get him a smartphone for his 12th birthday, but when he started secondary EVERY SINGLE KID in his year group already had a smart phone and they used the bloody things in lessons so we had to get him his birthday present early!

I'd also let him take his normal phone. If it's an expensive one, you could always pick up a cheaper smartphone around the £50 mark, like an Alcatel.

@Feellikedancingyeah

He has a smartphone

You can still get small cheap bricks (google 'Festival phone')

But using a (very) old smartphone handset might be better, if you are worried about muggings/theft

If you just need him to call home sometimes, teach him to memorise a couple of key phone numbers and ask if he can use someone else's phone (or a payphone, there are still a few callboxes); if in school, then the office/reception will have an extension from which pupils can make important calls

My 11yo will be taking his new Samsung smartphone. Many reasons:

I can track him.
They're used in lessons.
He can use maps if he gets lost.
He can look up things.
He can play games.
Most kids use them in school playground to pass time. Like all adults do. Candy crush etc.

He would be HUMILIATED with a non smart phone.

Also
As a teacher please dont make him he have a non smart phone. There's little teachers can do about insidious odd one outness among teens. Kid without just gets sad, however much teacher defends them and takes their side. It's not a primary school, you can't just huddle them round and tell them to be nice/ not everyones privileged. Secondary isn't like that.

It'll give the impression (to the other young) that he/she is poor. (Not wealthy). I"ll probably be slated for this but facts is facts.

Poor kid seriously let him take his decent phone and have it insured. We have family phone insurance with Nationwide Current Account and both kids have had a claim but I wouldn’t send them to school with a brick phone.

Thanks for all your comments. Phones aren’t used as part of learning at his school and they aren’t allowed to be turned on whilst on the school grounds so much of what has been reasonably suggested won’t be an issue.

In that case, a phone taken to school is going to be in the bottom of his bag and maybe only taken out in emergencies. The main difficulty will be remembering to keep it charged!

We kept our old pre-smart phones, and daughter was quite happy with one of those when in year 7; her school doesn't allow phones on the premises (those coming on buses hand them in on arrival), so like you, not a big deal. The school policy does make a big difference.

Surely you wouldn’t give a phone to a child that age you couldn’t afford to lose. Dd has a galaxy S7, I doubt it has 64 mb but it does what she needs it to.

Oh yes, totally agree with a screen protector and rubber case on whatever phone he takes. DS smashed his on the tiled floor! And they aren't supposed to have phones out at school!