Back to school 2026: your first-phone checklist

Child starting secondary in September? Or just starting to travel on their own? Here’s the whole job in one place. Pick the phone, sort the SIM, set it up properly, agree the rules, have the conversation. Done over an evening or two before term, it takes the panic out of week one.

Work down the list in order. Each step is short. Most families finish in a couple of sittings.

1. Choose the phone

Decide first what the phone is actually for. If the honest answer is “so I can reach them on the way to and from school”, that’s a basic phone, not a smartphone. Calls, texts, a torch for the winter walk, cheap to replace, slips into any phone-free school day without temptation. Our ranked list of simple phones sets out the options. The ninety-second picker will match one to your child if you’d rather not weigh it up yourself.

If your school specifically requires a smartphone-shaped device for an app, that’s the exception. The picker covers the sensible routes.

2. Sort the SIM

A basic phone needs very little. Calls and texts. Not much data. Keeps cost and temptation down. Some UK SIMs aimed at children add parent-side controls: who can call or text, the mobile internet switched off entirely. Our guide to the best SIMs for a child’s phone walks through it, including the ones built for first phones.

3. Set it up before you hand it over

Do this part the night before, so the phone arrives ready, not as a fiddly project.

• Put the SIM in. Check it makes a call and sends a text.
• Add the contacts that matter: you, any second parent, grandparents, and your child’s two or three closest friends. You at the top.
• Set up the SOS or emergency contact feature if the phone has one.
• Charge it fully. Basic phones last days. It’ll be ready all week.
• Save the school office number, labelled clearly.

4. Agree the rules, briefly

A first phone goes better with a few simple, shared expectations. Where it charges overnight (not the bedroom). When it’s away (mealtimes, bedtime). What to do if it’s lost. Keep it short. Keep it reasonable. For a ready-made starting point you can both sign, use our free first-phone contract template.

5. Have the conversation

If this is also the moment you’re telling your child they’re getting a basic phone rather than a smartphone, don’t improvise. Our seven-moment script is built for exactly that conversation. Eighteen things children commonly say, a calm reply to each. Twenty minutes on an unhurried evening is enough.

6. Tell the school, in a line

A one-line email to your child’s head of year before term means the school can support you. You won’t get caught out by an app requirement in week one. Template on our page for teachers and carers.

A sensible timeline

• Two weeks before term: pick the phone and order it. Pick the SIM.
• The weekend before: set it up. Agree the rules.
• A quiet evening before term: have the conversation. Hand it over.
• First morning: in the bag, off, for the journey. That’s all.

The first week of term

Setup’s done. Let the phone settle into the routine. First morning: in the bag, off, for the journey. Resist the urge to text during the school day. The school expects phones away. The office is there for anything urgent. At home time, a quick “on my way” text is the phone earning its keep.

Expect a little grumbling over the first few days if this is also a step down from the smartphone your child was hoping for. Hold the line kindly. The noise fades within a fortnight. Check in lightly at the end of week one: battery lasting, right contacts saved, charging-in-the-kitchen habit sticking? Adjust the small things. Leave the big decision where it is. By week two it becomes unremarkable, which is exactly what you want. Our piece on the first fortnight goes deeper.

Common questions

Does my child need a smartphone for secondary school? Usually not. Where a school requires a specific app, that’s an exception you can plan for. For most children, a basic phone for the journey is enough.

What should I set up before giving my child their first phone? Insert and test the SIM. Add key contacts with you at the top. Set any SOS feature. Save the school office number. Charge it fully.

Where do I start if I don’t know which phone to buy? Use the ninety-second picker. It asks five questions and points at one handset. Or read the ranked list.