Navigating Childhood in a Digital World

Name: Navigating Childhood in a Digital World
Start: 2026-06-10T18:30:00+01:00
End: 2026-06-10T18:30:00+01:00
Location: Surbiton Assembly Rooms

Keeping pace with the fast-moving digital world is a challenge for us all. For parents, however, it can be particularly daunting to ensure children are both protected and appropriately educated about the digital world they inhabit. Many questions arise, from managing screen time and social media use to understanding the impact of artificial intelligence on learning, communication skills and well-being.

This free event is designed to provide clarity, reassurance and practical strategies for everyday family life. It will explore questions many parents recognise:
- How to set healthy boundaries without constant negotiation

- How to support focus in an always-connected world

- How to help young people build resilience and judgement in online spaces that are constantly changing

- What it means to raise digitally aware children who are prepared for a future shaped by rapid technological change

The evening will begin with a welcome and introduction from Olivia Adams, Vice Principal Academic at Surbiton High School. Mrs Adams will outline our approach to supporting pupils in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, as well as highlighting some of the key challenges and concerns we have observed.

Keynote Speaker: Laura Knight

Our keynote speaker for the evening will be Laura Knight, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sapio, and one of the United Kingdom’s leading voices on artificial intelligence, digital strategy and innovation in education.

Laura is widely recognised for her ethical, human-centred approach to digital transformation and online well-being. She works closely with schools, educational organisations and governments to promote thoughtful and responsible use of technology. Her talk will be followed by a Q&A session.

Workshops

Following the keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to attend practical workshops focused on real-world strategies that can be applied immediately at home.

Each workshop will be 20 minutes long and will run twice consecutively. You will have the opportunity to attend two out of the three sessions.

Talking to Your Teen: Staying Connected without Overreacting

Dr Sarah‑Jane Knight, consultant from Let’s All Talk Mental Health, will share her expertise on how parents can stay meaningfully connected to their teenagers while maintaining clear and healthy boundaries. She emphasises the value of calm, confident responses over over-monitoring or reactive approaches.

Dr Knight holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and brings a wealth of experience from her work with young people and their families across Surrey.

Managing Devices and Settings Effectively

In this practical workshop, Mrs Cheryl Justice, Digital Lead at Surbiton High School, will help parents take control of devices at home using simple strategies for managing settings, notifications and boundaries across children’s iPads, phones and social media.

Mrs Justice will also guide parents through the key apps used at Surbiton High School, such as Showbie and Satchel One, explaining how these are used on their child’s iPad to support the organisation and management of schoolwork and homework.

In addition, we will introduce Jamf Parent, the companion to the school’s Jamf system, demonstrating how families can apply personalised restrictions to their child’s school iPad outside school hours to support safe and balanced use.

This is an opportunity to gain expert insight, share experiences with others, and leave feeling more confident about supporting children in a digital world that is evolving faster than ever before.