England: Government Mandates Legal Smartphone Ban in All Schools, Citing Wellbeing
Education Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith announced on Monday that an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill would create a “clear legal requirement for schools” to prohibit smartphone use. The Department for Education (DfE) stated this measure provides “legal force to what schools are already doing in practice”.
This legislative action follows Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson's January communication to schools, urging them to adopt phone-free policies throughout the school day. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott welcomed the amendment, while the Liberal Democrats called for adequate support and funding to assist schools with implementation.
Ofsted inspections will incorporate monitoring of schools' mobile phone policies from April. A DfE spokesperson affirmed the government's consistent stance that “mobile phones have no place in schools” and that the amendment “builds on the steps we've already taken to strengthen enforcement”.
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, suggested the legal ban “doesn't really change very much” given most schools already enforce such restrictions. He advocated for government funding for secure phone storage solutions and “much tougher regulatory action” on social media harm, which predominantly occurs outside school hours.
Approaches to mobile phones in schools vary across the UK's devolved administrations. Scotland introduced guidance in 2024 allowing headteachers to implement bans, while Wales permits heads to set their own policies. Northern Ireland recently concluded a phone-free pilot scheme in nine schools, with findings due in June.
