What the Ecclesfield Sheffield pilot actually found, and what it didn't

In May 2026, Ecclesfield School in Sheffield published its findings from S35 Unplugged. Seventy-five pupils took part. The work was supported by Sheffield Hallam University, Revealing Reality, and the school’s head, Liz Hunter.

It is one of the most carefully observed school pilots of its kind in the UK. It is also, importantly, not a population study.

What the pilot did

For an agreed period, pupils took part in a programme of activities that were intentionally low-tech. Teachers, researchers and pupils kept reflective records. Parents were brought in.

The reporting from Sheffield Hallam describes qualitative themes. Pupils said they slept better. They reported feeling more present with their friends. Teachers noticed shifts in playground behaviour. Parents observed changes at home that they did not expect.

What the pilot did not do

It did not survey thousands of pupils. It did not measure attainment with a control group. It did not produce a statistical effect size you could quote in a press release. It was never designed to.

The risk with a pilot like this is that, in the rush to back its conclusion, well-meaning campaigners over-claim. We have read social media posts saying things like “75% of teenagers want to give up their phones.” That is not what the Ecclesfield pilot found. What it found is that, after a sustained period off their phones, this group of 75 Sheffield pupils described changes they valued.

That is more than enough on its own. It does not need to be inflated.

Why we care about citing it carefully

Knock exists because the underlying evidence about smartphones and childhood is strong enough to act on. The Ofcom numbers on ownership at age six are real. The Parentkind survey on parent appetite is real. The Department for Education guidance is real. Smartphone Free Childhood now organises over half a million parents across the UK.

If we overstate the Ecclesfield pilot, we hand a stick to anyone looking for a reason to dismiss the broader case. We do not want to do that.

So we cite Ecclesfield as a Sheffield school case study. We name the people who did the work. We point you at the school’s own write-up so you can read what they actually found. And we ask other organisations to do the same.

If you are a school

Ecclesfield was generous with what they shared. The fact that the playground felt different to teachers, that pupils reported sleeping better, that parents noticed changes they did not expect, all of that is the start of an interesting conversation in any staff room.

We make a free switching kit of parent script, school comms template and friend-network briefing. If your school is having this conversation, help yourself. No email required to read the script on the site, your email if you’d like the PDF.