What cheap mobile phone for secondary school starter?

[Mrs TP]

I have finally succumbed to the idea that my daughter will benefit from a mobile when she starts secondary school in Sept.

However want to go down the 'cheap as chips' route rather than the Blackberry / iPhone route.

Would love to hear recommendations for good phones and/or network deals. Also thinking pay as you go probably better than contract?

Thanks in advance.

[vanessa520]

I've just got my daughter a blackberry on contract as she's starting secondary school to in sept.

She gets 200 mins unlimited texts a month. It's not a lot of minutes really but she sends txt and bbm more than anything. It's ?20 a month and it works out cheaper contract than pay as you go. Just depends on how much she talks!!

Also conditions were that she has to pay the bill herself by doing housework and all the money she tends to get of her grandparents etc.

Thought it might teach her a bit of responsibility and when she's in trouble I know the punishment of having her phone taken of her will be huge for her.

I actually think Charter don't allow phones anyway. But after school I'm sure she will want to be phoning new friends she's made.

Each to there own really.

Vanessa

[vesti]

We just went to the Orange shop (Lewisham) and got their cheapest, most basic, phone with the longest battery life on pay as you go (Samsung, but bought so long ago the model probably doesn't exist now).

It's worked brilliantly. We now have two of these and the kids take "the cheap phone" whenever they go out in preference to their (purchased themselves) iPhone and blackberries (which now are so much more about multi-media use now than use as mere phones).

My children are aged 12 - 19 and the other huge positive of having the cheap phone (and one I had not planned for and wouldn't have given huge consideration to in any case) is the status thing.

By absolutely having the most bog-standard cheap phone you have a perfect counter argument to the "Wot no blackberry?" pressure cos you are so obviously not even trying to compete and have a decent phone. You are just bringing out the cheap phone to prevent loss of or damage to your better phone at home!

[vesti]

Yes - The Charter don't allow phones. But the pupils all take them in and I encourage my kids to take them on some days cos if they are going out after school (and sometimes not home till late) I need to know we can contact each other.

So - if the school confiscate it - it's only the cheap phone!

And - it gets nicked at school (and they do and of course the school can't be expected to do anything about it cos phones aren't allowed) - it's only the cheap phone!

And - the kids aren't stressing about loss or theft cos - it's only the cheap phone!

And actually neither of the phones have been lost, stolen or broken - yet..

[intexasatthe moment]

Tesco SIM ( O2 ) ,pay as you go ,Nokia

http://phone-shop.tesco.com/mobile-phones-and-sim-cards/pay-as-you-go-phones/Tesco-Mobile-Nokia-100-215-7201

buy on line

[sillywoman]

?20 a month? Flippin eck!

Our boys (12 & 15) use mostly PAYG cheapies via orange & it costs us about ?10 every couple of months per phone - often less. They're not too fussed about phones & definitely don't have fancy ones at home. Girl (16) uses old iphone given her by her uncle & is on a ?5.20 per month simplicity tariff at O2: 300mins unlimited text a month.

Our experience so far is that The Charter wouldn't confiscate a phone unless it rang in class or a student was caught using it in school hours - fair enough really.

Personally I wouldn't go down the contract route, but we are watching the pennies. As vanessa520 says - each to their own.

[minder]

Hi Mrs TP - two years ago, when my youngest daughter was starting secondary school, I would not have even thought of getting her a mobile phone.

Fast forward two years and it's a different world.

Yes vanessa and vesti - The Charter School don't allow mobiles so I go along with that policy.

Daughter (nearly 14) and her older sister (16) have their mobiles (cheap ones) and my 19 year old son who still has a 5 year old mobile but he doesn't care, but I DON'T let them take mobiles to school as I know they're not allowed (The Charter School). Occasionally I've let them take their mobiles on a half inset day if they suddenly decide to go to to a friends or whatever.

But if they did go to a friends(or whatever) on a normal day after school they know they to have to ask to use the parents landline/mobile to phone me (a normal thing anyway, otherwise I would be phoning round their friends to their embarrasment).

[Mrs TP]

Many thanks to all for responses esp 'intexasatthe moment' - defo the sort of thing I'm looking for and will investigate further.

We are not at Charter but our new big school has a 'no see no hear' policy to electronics so is slightly more relaxed. I didn't even particularly want to get her a phone yet but someone pointed out what if my plans suddenly change due to needs of younger children and I am not where she expects.

I think the particular thing about Charter is it has such a tight catchment area so most children walk and their friends all live in a relatively close area so perhaps more relaxed re need for a phone for school if your child good at keeping you informed generally.

My daughter is going to a school that has a much wider catchment, the majority of children don't live close enough to walk and friends will be further spread out. A wider roaming area from home and public transport have all added to the phone consideration :(

Really hoping the Blackberry days are on the v. distant horizon :)