Ban phones throughout the school day, Phillipson tells teachers

All schools in England must comply with new government guidelines and be phone-free for the entire school day, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.

In a letter sent to schools by the BBC, he said it was “inappropriate to use phones as calculators or to carry out research during lessons, breaks and lunchtimes”.

Ofsted has confirmed it will now inspect schools on the implementation of mobile phone policies and has advised teachers not to use their phones in front of pupils.

The use of Ofsted to “monitor” schools’ mobile phone policies is “deeply unhelpful and misguided”, a union of school headteachers has said.

Telephone guidance was given to schools for the first time by the previous Conservative government in February 2024but Phillipson said in his letter that this “does not provide the clarity or consistency that schools need.”

He said the government was therefore “strengthening” the government. guide published last weekto “clearly” state that students should not use their phones at school.

Phillipson’s letter to schools comes just after it was announced that the government would launch a three-month consultation on banning social media for all under-16s in the UK.

The education secretary encouraged teachers to “contribute your professional insights”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has already said his party would implement such a ban if in power.

Last week’s announcement also included stricter guidance from Ofsted for schools, including staff being told not to use their devices in front of students for personal reasons.

The latest research by the survey tool, Teacher Tapp, found that 86% of primary school teachers said they were allowed to use their phones at school for personal use but only during breaks, while 44% of secondary school teachers said they were allowed to use their phones freely.

Only 2% of both primary and secondary teachers surveyed said their school completely banned staff from using phones during the school day.

Teachers’ unions generally welcomed the social media advisory but rejected Ofsted’s recommendation that schools monitor mobile phone policies.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, said school leaders “need the support of government, not the threat of harsh scrutiny”.

The Association of School and College Leaders also said the government had been “slow” to respond to online risks to children.

Although the Government’s consultations on social media concern the whole of the UK, its guidance to schools on phones only covers England, as education is a devolved policy area.

Senedd last year should not be banned “completely” But schools need to be supported to set and implement their own policies, he said of schools in Wales.

In Northern Ireland, Education Minister Paul Givan has previously advised schools to restrict students’ use of mobile phones. recently supported a campaign We encourage parents not to buy their children a smartphone until they are 14 years old.

And in Scotland schools were given government guidance setting their own rules, such as students having to turn in their phones before classes or not being allowed to use their phones on field trips.