27 May 2026
Why Knock is called Knock
The brand name is a verb British children used before mobile phones existed. The behaviour Knock is trying to make easy to restore.
Notes from Knock
A fortnightly note from Sheffield, organised by question.
Long-form writing on smartphones, childhood and the mechanics of the switch. Written by the three of us, in Sheffield. Categorised below by the question the piece answers. Use the menu to jump.
The decision
The case for delaying, the research, the parent script. Read these first if you are still deciding whether to do this at all.
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26 May 2026
The best phone for a year-six pupil in the UK, 2026
The phone we recommend most to UK year-six parents, the runners-up, and the specific reasons we'd pick each one, based on forty kitchen-table conversations with UK families.
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26 May 2026
Stepping back: what to do when your child already has a smartphone
Half the UK families we work with come to Knock because their child already has a smartphone and they want out. The decision is harder, not impossible. Here's how it goes.
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22 May 2026
What the Ecclesfield Sheffield pilot actually found, and what it didn't
A close read of the S35 Unplugged pilot at Ecclesfield School, what it tells us about a smartphone-free school day, and why we won't claim it proves more than it does.
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30 April 2026
How to have the 'no, you're not getting an iPhone' conversation
Word for word, the conversation we've refined with forty UK families, and the version that lives inside the Knock switching kit.
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18 March 2026
Replacing WhatsApp without your child losing their friends
Practical ways to keep your child in the school social loop when their friends have WhatsApp and they don't. None of them require a smartphone.
The phone
Reviews, comparisons, hands-on detail on the phones we recommend and the ones we do not.
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26 May 2026
Smartphone alternatives for an 11-year-old in the UK, every option compared
Every UK option for an eleven-year-old who doesn't yet have a smartphone, ranked from cheapest to most considered, with the trade-offs of each.
The SIMs
What SIMs work for a child's first phone, the parent-control options, and the price.
More pieces coming on this in the next issue.
The first week
Practical pieces about the fortnight after the switch. The objections, the friend-network briefing, the school comms.
More pieces coming on this in the next issue.
The longer view
Bigger thinking: school policy, the wider movement, what the next two years might look like.
More pieces coming on this in the next issue.
A few questions about Notes
How often do you publish?
Once a fortnight on average. Written by the three of us in Sheffield, mostly on Sunday evenings. Subscribe at the bottom of any page if you would like the next one in your inbox.
Can I republish a note?
Yes, with a credit and a link back to the original. Email hello@knockphone.co.uk if you would like to syndicate to a school newsletter or a PTA group.
Where do the statistics come from?
Primary UK sources only: Ofcom, Parentkind, Ipsos, Department for Education, peer-reviewed work where directly relevant. The full citation rules are on /editorial-standards.
Will you write about my school or PTA group?
If your school is doing something specific worth writing about, email hello@knockphone.co.uk. We do not write about every school, but we read every email.