Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is being given to schools to enable them to enforce phone bans.

The government has published strengthened statutory guidance on mobile phones in schools, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools/mobile-phones-in-schools.

This guidance states that all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default, with no access during lessons, between lessons, at breaktimes or at lunchtime.

To support implementation, the department has published case studies alongside the guidance which demonstrate a range of effective approaches and best practice. We have also published resources to help schools communicate their mobile phone policy to parents and pupils.

The government has committed to review the guidance and make any necessary revisions by September 2027.