The Department for Education has strengthened its guidance on mobile phones in schools, moving well beyond the existing advice that phones should simply be kept in bags and out of sight. Schools will now be expected to adopt whole-school approaches that make phones genuinely inaccessible during the school day.
That means lockable pouches, collection at the school gate, secure storage, or banning phones on site altogether. The aim is to give headteachers, parents and pupils a clearer, more consistent picture of what a truly phone-free school day looks like in practice.
For families in Gnosall, many of whose children travel to secondary schools in Stafford and the surrounding area, the change is likely to feel tangible. It should mean fewer arguments at home about whether phones are being used in lessons, and more confidence that the school day is being spent learning and socialising face-to-face.
Here in Gnosall, St Lawrence Primary Academy operates a mobile phone-free environment, where pupils are not permitted to use or carry mobile phones during the school day.
Why now?
The evidence behind the move is sobering. Polling published earlier this year found that 40% of children aged 9 to 16 were turning down real-world activities in favour of time online. International data from the PISA study also points to declining performance in reading and maths, with digital distraction cited as a contributing factor.
Perhaps most striking is the finding from the Milburn review, which warned that disengagement can begin as early as age 12 or 13, with some pupils reporting they were still scrolling on their phones at 3am on school nights.
At the same time, only 16% of secondary pupils say phone rules are followed all of the time in their schools, suggesting that existing guidance has not been strong enough to make a real difference.
Wider reforms and safer classroom technology
The phone guidance is part of a broader package of education reforms. The government is also restoring Key Stage 3 as a full three-year phase, strengthening the teaching of reading, writing, oracy and numeracy, and giving pupils more time for enrichment before options are narrowed ahead of GCSEs.
A new consultation on technology in the classroom has also launched, exploring independent safety certification for educational technology products. The idea is to give schools and parents greater confidence that any tech being used to support learning meets robust safety standards.
Emma Harrison of the Association of School and College Leaders said the certification scheme could genuinely help schools navigate an increasingly crowded market of new products.
Keeping children safe from harm is every school's absolute priority. A certification scheme has the potential to support schools in purchasing decisions and give them an additional layer of assurance when dealing with new forms of technology as they emerge.
Taken together, the changes are intended to help children focus more fully during the school day, build stronger communication skills, and get more out of the time they spend with their peers and teachers.
Source: govwire.co.uk
