Pupils: Mobile Phones
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide advice and support for headteachers to transition to a smartphone free school.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
Mobile phones have no place in schools.
The department’s guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.
Alongside the guidance, the department has published a series of case studies showcasing good practice to support schools in prohibiting the use of mobile phones.
Schools also have access to a toolkit on communicating their policy with parents. This provides practical guidance to help schools gain parental support for their mobile phone policies.
Research from the Children’s Commissioner published in April 2025, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.
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