UK to make school smartphone ban legally binding in England

Mintesinot Nigussie

The UK government will introduce a legal requirement restricting smartphone use in schools in England, formalising existing guidance under planned legislation. Education minister Jacqui Smith told the House of Lords on Monday that an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will create a “clear legal requirement for schools” on mobile phone use.

The Department for Education said the move would give statutory force to current guidance, which already encourages phone-free school days and is widely followed. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson had previously urged schools to adopt a full-day ban on mobile phones, with the new measure intended to make that expectation enforceable.

Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott welcomed the move, calling it “fantastic news for headteachers, parents and pupils,” after earlier criticism that the government had resisted stronger action. The Department for Education said most schools already restrict phone use and that policies will be monitored through Ofsted inspections from April.

The Association of School and College Leaders said the change would have limited practical impact as many schools already enforce bans, and called for funding for secure storage and tougher regulation of social media use outside schools. Education remains devolved across the UK. Scotland allows school-level bans under 2024 guidance, Wales leaves decisions to individual schools, and Northern Ireland has recently concluded a phone-free pilot scheme, with results due in June.

The move is part of a broader government effort to address concerns over the impact of smartphones on children’s mental health, attention spans and academic performance. Experts have increasingly highlighted the need for clearer national standards on device use in educational settings.

Parents, teachers and technology companies are expected to watch the implementation closely as the legal change takes effect, potentially setting a precedent for similar measures in other countries.

Overall, the UK’s decision to make the school smartphone ban legally binding in England marks a significant policy shift aimed at improving focus and wellbeing in classrooms.