Schools in England should be phone-free all day

Bridget Phillipson stressed that schools in England should be completely phone-free throughout the day, telling headteachers that students should not use mobile phones even as calculators or for research purposes.

According to the BBC, Phillipson sent a letter to schools last week to reinforce the government’s updated guidance. She said: “Schools must ensure these policies are applied consistently in all classrooms and at all times, and we want parents to support these policies as well.”

Teachers have also been advised not to use their phones in front of students.

Phillipson added that Ofsted, the body responsible for inspecting schools, will monitor how the policy is being implemented. Meanwhile, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announced that it will take immediate action regarding children’s use of social media. Under the updated guidance, students should not have access to devices “during lessons, break times, lunch periods, or between classes.”

DSIT data shows that 99.9% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools already have mobile phone policies in place. However, 58% of secondary school students said that phones are still used without permission in some lessons.

Ministers are also planning to visit Australia, where a similar ban came into force in December. According to DSIT, the government will gather views from parents and young people and respond during the summer.

Last week, the House of Lords backed a Conservative-led amendment proposing such a ban as part of a bill on children’s wellbeing and schools, despite the government not supporting it. Government sources say the amendment is unlikely to survive in the House of Commons, but its approval in the upper chamber has increased pressure on the Prime Minister to take faster and more decisive action.

It is reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to wait for evidence on the impact of the Australian ban before moving forward.