Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning smartphones (a) in classrooms, (b) within school grounds and (c) in the proximity of schools.

The department knows that using mobile phones in schools can lead to online bullying, distraction and classroom disruption, which can lead to lost learning time, while research also suggests that excessive screentime can have a negative impact on children’s wellbeing.

Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. In February 2024, the department published non-statutory guidance for schools on how to develop, implement and maintain a policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime. As has been the longstanding policy of successive governments, headteachers remain responsible for deciding how they choose to implement this policy, including choosing to prohibit children from bringing mobile phones on site entirely.