Mobile phones set to be banned in schools as ministers push ahead with new guidance for teachers

The use of mobile phones during the school day could be a thing of the past after ministers moved ahead with a ban on the device for pupils in England.

New guidance for teachers and schools has been published in which it was described as a measure to bring consistency across classrooms in England. The document, which is non-statutory, instructs headteachers on the implementation of the ban not only during class-time but also during breaks and lunch periods.

It also suggests that bags of pupils could also be searched by staff if they suspect that a mobile phone has been brought onto the premises. The guidance stated that “headteachers can and should identify mobile phones and similar devices as something that may be searched for in their school behaviour policy”.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan first proposed the ban at the Tory Party conference in October 2023. Upon its publication, Keegan said that the guidance would offer "clarity and consistency" for teachers in England, adding: “Schools are places for children to learn and mobile phones are, at a minimum, an unwanted distraction in the classroom. We are giving our hard-working teachers the tools to take action to help improve behaviour and to allow them to do what they do best – teach.”

Tom Bennet, who advises the Department for Education on behaviour, said: “Mobile phones may be ubiquitous, but we have a strong and growing understanding of how damaging they can be for a child’s social and educational development. And it’s the least advantaged who suffer most. Many schools already have some kind of policy on phones, but this guidance provides a clear steer for everyone, including parents, about what’s right and what’s not for the wellbeing of the child.

However, the move has been branded a "non-policy for a non-problem" by teaching trade unions. The Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton said: “Most schools already forbid the use of mobile phones during the school day or allow their use only in limited and stipulated circumstances.

“We have lost count of the number of times that ministers have now announced a crackdown on mobile phones in schools. It is a non-policy for a non-problem. The government would be far better off putting its energies into bringing to heel the online platforms via which children are able to access disturbing and extreme content.”