Phones to be banned from pupils' bags or pockets under stricter rules for schools in England
Summary
England will introduce stricter guidance from September 2027 requiring pupils to be without their phones during the school day, including keeping them out of bags and pockets. School leaders say secure storage could be costly, while the government says phones can distract pupils from learning and socialising.Key Facts
- Statutory guidance introduced in June makes schools and trusts legally responsible for keeping schools phone-free throughout the day.
- The stricter guidance will go beyond policies that allow phones to stay in bags if they are not seen or heard.
- Schools will choose how to enforce the rules, using options such as lockable pouches, secure lockers, or collecting phones at the start of the day.
- School leaders' unions said secure storage for every pupil could be expensive and called for government funding.
- Education Secretary Lucy Powell said phones risk distracting pupils from learning and from one another.
- The government has also announced a review of safety standards for technology used in schools.
- Phone rules differ across the UK because education is devolved; Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are taking separate approaches.
- The school phone rules are separate from a planned UK ban on social media access for under-16s, due to begin in March.
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