England to ban pupils from keeping mobile phones in bags or pockets at school

Pupils in England will be banned from keeping or accessing their mobile phones during the school day under stricter government guidance due to take effect from September 2027.

The new rules will go beyond the existing "no see, no hear" approach adopted by some schools, under which pupils can keep their phones in their bags as long as they are not seen or heard.

Statutory guidance introduced in June already makes schools and academy trusts legally responsible for ensuring that their premises remain phone-free throughout the school day.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the government's message to parents and pupils was clear: "School is for learning and friendship, not scrolling."

The government said access to mobile phones risked distracting children from their education and preventing them from engaging with one another.

Schools will retain the freedom to decide how to enforce the rules. Some have introduced sealed phone pouches or secure lockers, while others collect devices at the start of the day or ban them from school premises entirely.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Powell said such measures could bring about a "whole-school culture change", adding that this was what the government wanted to see across all schools.

Karl Harrison, head teacher of Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester, said his school had spent £20,000 on metal detectors and phone pouches to stop pupils accessing their devices during the day.

Although some pupils initially felt they had lost their freedom, keeping phones locked away had encouraged more social interaction, he said.

"People now can talk to each other, instead of scrolling on a device," Harrison said.

He added that the move had also improved concentration in lessons, reduced distractions and helped pupils achieve higher grades.

However, school leaders have warned that enforcing the stricter rules could prove costly without additional government funding.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders' union, said mobile phones could create safety concerns and become an unhelpful distraction during the school day. But he warned that the stronger measures recommended under the new guidance would come at a cost.

Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the guidance offered some clarity but stressed that school leaders could not simply make mobile phones disappear.

"If all schools are going to be expected to have lockable pouches or other secure storage facilities for every pupil, the cost involved will be very significant indeed," he said.

He added that the proposals would not be feasible unless the government provided the necessary funding.

Asked about financial support, Powell said she wanted head teachers to have the freedom to choose the approaches that worked best for their schools.

Dame Rachel de Souza, Children's Commissioner for England, welcomed stronger action to prevent mobile phones from distracting pupils and disrupting the school day.

Charlotte Ashton, co-founder of campaign group Generation Focus, also backed the changes, arguing that existing "no see, no hear" policies were ineffective, with pupils still using TikTok in school toilets.

She said the longer-term goal should be to move away from a situation in which every child carries a personal internet-enabled device at all times.

Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said she was "delighted that Labour have finally listened to us and agreed to properly ban smartphones in schools".

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She also welcomed the government's decision to review safety standards for technology used in schools, but criticised what she described as a lack of joined-up thinking over the technology being introduced into classrooms.

Different approaches across the UK

As education is a devolved matter, rules on mobile phones vary across the UK.

In Scotland, the government has said it will introduce legislation to restrict the personal use of mobile phones in schools and launched a public consultation over the summer.

In Wales, the Senedd recently rejected a motion calling for a nationwide statutory ban on phones in classrooms. Schools are still encouraged to restrict their use during the school day, but head teachers can decide how to enforce their own policies.

In Northern Ireland, Education Minister Paul Givan launched a 12-week consultation in August on whether to introduce a legal ban on mobile phones in schools, calling for a stronger and more consistent approach across the education system.

The school phone restrictions are separate from the UK's planned ban on social media for under-16s, which is due to take effect in March.

Children will be barred from accessing platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. Culture Secretary has also said that Vinted and eBay could be included among the platforms covered by the ban.

Source: BBC