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Mobile phones in schools (England)

Use of mobile phones by children in schools, and whether they should be prohibited, has been a subject of regular debate in recent years. This short briefing provides an overview of the current position in England, recent discussion in parliament, and introduces some relevant research.

Schools policy is a devolved matter, and this briefing focuses on debate in England, but an overview is included of the position in the devolved legislatures.

Current position in England

Section 36 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 requires schools in England to have regard to published guidance on mobile phones. This gives the guidance on mobile phones in schools the force of law. The provision came into force on 29 June 2026.

Statutory guidance on Mobile phones in schools, published by the Department for Education, is now in place. Although the relevant legal provisions were in place from 29 June, schools were expected to begin following the guidance from 1 September 2026.

The guidance says that “All schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default; anything other than this should be by exception only.”

The guidance sets out the expectation for schools to implement a policy so that pupils do not have access to their mobile phone (or similar devices) throughout the school day including during lessons, the time between lessons, break times and lunchtime. Wider implementation is at schools’ discretion, for instance whether to have lockers for phones that children can use, in order to have their devices while travelling to and from school.

Schools may adapt their policies where necessary for the needs or circumstances of specific pupils.

The Department for Education has also published Creating a mobile phone-free environment: school case studies, to provide examples of ways in which schools may meet their legal duties.

In January 2026 the revised guidance, now made statutory, was published alongside a wider announcement of a consultation on children’s social media use, including a potential ban on social media access for children. This announcement included a further relevant change for schools, that Ofsted would begin to assess schools’ mobile phone policies and their implementation as part of every school inspection.

During consideration of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in the House of Lords, the minister, Baroness Smith, said that the government would review the guidance in light of the Department for Education’s annual behaviour survey and make any necessary revisions to the guidance by September 2027.