England Orders Schools To Ban Phones Entire Day

England’s schools are on the brink of a significant transformation after Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson issued a sweeping directive for all schools to become “phone-free environments” throughout the entire school day. In a letter sent to headteachers on January 26, 2026, Phillipson made it crystal clear: students should not use mobile phones at any point during lessons, break times, or even lunchtime—not as calculators, not for research, and not for any other purpose. The message? Put the phones away, all day, every day.

The new guidance, which follows updated government advice released just last week, marks a decisive shift in how schools are expected to handle mobile devices. According to BBC and Sky News, the directive is unambiguous: “All schools should be phone-free environments for the entire school day. That includes lessons, time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime. It means, for example, it is not appropriate for phones to be used as calculators, or for research during lessons.”

Phillipson’s letter also underscored the importance of consistency and fairness, urging schools to apply their policies across all classes and at all times. “Schools should make sure those policies are applied consistently across classes and at all times and we want parents to back these policies too,” she wrote, as reported by the BBC. She added her full support for headteachers in enforcing these new boundaries, stating, “Clear boundaries, applied with consistency and fairness, give pupils the best chance to learn and thrive, and schools should feel confident in setting and enforcing them.”

The updated guidance doesn’t just target students. Teachers themselves have been instructed not to use their phones in front of pupils, reinforcing the message that the school environment should be entirely free from mobile device distractions. ITV News highlighted that this was a response to previous advice, which Phillipson criticized for lacking the necessary clarity and consistency. The earlier guidance, issued by the Conservative government in February 2024, “did not deliver the clarity or consistency that schools need,” according to Phillipson. The new rules are designed to “make it explicit that pupils should not be using phones at school.”

But how widespread is the problem? Data from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) paints a complex picture. While 99.9% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools already have some form of mobile phone policy, a significant number of students are still slipping through the cracks. According to DSIT figures cited by Sky News and the BBC, 58% of secondary school pupils reported that phones were being used without permission in at least some lessons. That number jumps to 65% among key stage four pupils—those in the crucial exam years.

It’s not just about schoolwork, either. The government’s concern stretches to children’s broader relationship with technology, particularly social media. The DSIT announced it would take immediate action on children’s social media use, including instructing Ofsted—the schools inspectorate—to examine mobile phone policies and their enforcement during school inspections. Ofsted will now be tasked not only with judging academic standards and safeguarding, but also with scrutinizing how rigorously schools keep mobile phones out of sight and out of mind.

This new layer of oversight hasn’t been universally welcomed. Some school leaders and unions have voiced concerns about Ofsted’s expanded role. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, told the BBC that school leaders “need support from government, not the threat of heavy-handed inspection.” Another head teachers’ union described the idea of using Ofsted to “police” phone rules as “deeply unhelpful and misguided,” according to BBC Newsround. There’s a real worry that the focus could shift from supporting schools to a more punitive approach.

Meanwhile, the government is casting its gaze even further, contemplating an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s. Ministers are launching a three-month consultation to gather opinions from parents and young people about whether to ban social media for children under 16 across the UK. Options on the table include raising the digital age of consent and restricting addictive app features like “streaks” and “infinite scrolling.” As reported by Sky News and the BBC, ministers will even visit Australia—where a similar ban came into force in December 2025—to learn from their experience before responding to the consultation in the summer of 2026.

The debate is not limited to England. While the new phone rules apply only to schools in England, the other parts of the UK are taking different approaches. In Wales, the Senedd has rejected an outright ban, preferring to let schools set their own policies. Northern Ireland advises schools to restrict phone use and encourages parents not to buy smartphones for children until age 14. In Scotland, schools are given the flexibility to create their own rules, such as requiring pupils to hand in phones before lessons, as outlined by BBC Newsround. These regional differences reflect the devolved nature of education policy in the UK—and perhaps a broader disagreement about the best way to manage technology in young people’s lives.

The push for a phone-free school day is happening against a backdrop of growing anxiety about the impact of technology on children’s mental health, attention spans, and social skills. Advocates for the ban argue that clear, consistent boundaries will help students focus on learning and reduce distractions. Critics, however, worry that overzealous enforcement could alienate students and distract schools from more pressing educational challenges.

Political pressure is mounting on all sides. Last week, the House of Lords backed a Conservative-led amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill that would introduce a social media ban for children. While the government has not yet supported this measure, its passage in the upper chamber has increased pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to act decisively. According to the BBC, Starmer is waiting for evidence from Australia’s ban before making a final decision.

In the meantime, schools are left to navigate the practicalities of enforcing the new rules. Will every student hand over their phone willingly at the school gate? Will teachers—already stretched thin—be able to police device use without it becoming a running battle? And can parents be persuaded to back the policy at home, ensuring that the message is consistent both inside and outside the classroom?

One thing is certain: the government is determined to see its vision of phone-free schools realized. As Bridget Phillipson told headteachers, “You have my full support in taking this forward.” Whether that support translates into better learning, less distraction, and healthier students remains to be seen. But with Ofsted watching and the public debate raging, schools in England are about to find out just how phone-free they can become.