Government wants schools to be stricter on phone rules

How strict is your school about mobile phones?

Are you allowed to keep them off in your bag, can they be in your pocket, or do you have to put them in a special bag or locker?

Earlier this year stricter rules were brought in around how schools in England should manage phones, but now the government says it wants to make them even tougher.

Now, from September 2027, pupils in England will not be allowed to have their mobile phones with them at all during the school day.

The government says the changes are designed to help pupils concentrate on their lessons and spend more time talking to their friends, rather than looking at their phones.

However, head teachers' unions have warned that schools could find it difficult to introduce the stricter rules without extra funding to pay for it.

Existing guidance, which came into effect in September 2026, called for schools in England to be "mobile phone-free environments" but it didn't set out how they should do it.

Some schools use sealed pouches or secure lockers to store phones, while others collect phones from pupils when they arrive in the morning or ban them from school grounds completely.

But the Department of Education says only 16% of secondary pupils it surveyed said phone rules are followed all of the time.

Now the government says schools must make sure pupils in England do not have access to their phones at any point during the school day, and it says new guidance will give greater clarity on what stronger approaches can be taken by schools.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the government's "clear message" was that "school is for learning and friendship, not scrolling".

Access to phones "risks pulling children away from their learning and from each other", the government said.

Rules about mobile phones are different across the UK, as the different nations are in charge of deciding how they run things in schools.

The Scottish government has said it plans to introduce a new law to restrict the personal use of phones in schools.

It also held a consultation over the summer to gather people's views.

In Wales, politicians recently voted against introducing a national legal ban on phones in classrooms.

Schools are still encouraged to limit phone use during the school day, but head teachers can decide what rules work best for their schools.

And in Northern Ireland, Education Minister Paul Givan launched a 12-week consultation in August to ask whether mobile phones should be banned from schools by law.

Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza welcomed the announcement saying that "strong action" was needed to stop phones distracting pupils and disrupting the school day.

And Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott, from the Conservative Party said it was the "right thing to do" alongside a review of safety around all tech used in schools.

However, some school leaders have warned that making these changes could be expensive.

Pepe Di'Iasio, from the Association of School and College Leaders, said the latest guidance "does at least provide some clarity", but added that school leaders "cannot simply make mobile phones disappear".

"If all schools are going to be expected to have lockable pouches or other secure storage facilities for every pupil, the cost involved will be very significant indeed," he said.

He added that the government would need to help with the "funding required to meet these costs."