Pupils: Mobile Phones
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of smartphone use on pupil behaviour in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
In January 2026, the department published strengthened ‘mobile phones in schools’ guidance which states that all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default.
The department expects schools to implement a policy whereby pupils do not have access to their mobile phone throughout the school day including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime.
This guidance is soon to be made statutory, creating a clear legal expectation that the guidance must be followed unless there is a legally justifiable reason for schools not to do so.
To reinforce the importance of effective implementation, Ofsted will check school mobile phone policy on every inspection, with schools expected to be mobile phone-free by default.
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