Pupils in England will not be allowed access to their phones at all during the school day under stricter government guidance, the BBC reported. Statutory guidance already in force since June makes schools and trusts legally responsible for being phone-free throughout the day. Ministers now say changes will go beyond the "no see, no hear" policies used in some schools, where phones can stay in bags if they are not seen or heard, when the new rules take effect from September 2027. Head teachers' unions said schools would struggle to implement stricter policies without extra funding. Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the government's "clear message" was that "school is for learning and friendship, not scrolling."
Schools will still decide how to follow the guidance. Some have invested in sealed pouches or lockers. Others collect phones at the start of the day or ban them from sites altogether. Powell told BBC Breakfast that such policies could achieve a "whole-school culture change." Karl Harrison, head teacher at Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester, said his school spent £20,000 on metal detectors and phone pouches. Locking phones away had increased socialising and focus, he said. "People now can talk to each other, instead of scrolling on a device," he said. "It's also increased levels of focus in lessons because now there's less distraction, and people are achieving higher grades."
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders union, said phones could raise safety issues and be an "unhelpful distraction," but that lockable pouches or secure storage for every pupil would "come at a cost" that is "not feasible unless the government puts in the funding required." Pepe Di'Iasio of the Association of School and College Leaders said leaders "cannot simply make mobile phones disappear." Powell, asked about funding, said she wanted heads to have the autonomy to implement what works best. Dame Rachel de Souza, Children's Commissioner for England, welcomed strong action. Charlotte Ashton, co-founder of campaign group Generation Focus, said "no see, no hear" policies were not working and that pupils were still "TikToking in the toilets."
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said she was "delighted that Labour have finally listened" and agreed to "properly ban smartphones in schools," while criticizing what she called a lack of "joined up thinking" about classroom technology. Because education is devolved, approaches vary. Scotland has said it will introduce a law restricting personal phone use in schools and has launched a consultation. In Wales, the Senedd recently voted against a national statutory ban, and the Welsh government is consulting on guidance that would still leave heads some flexibility. The verified change in England is tighter national guidance from 2027, not an immediate confiscation of every phone tomorrow.