England plans stricter school phone rules from 2027

The Department for Education plans to strengthen statutory guidance so pupils in England cannot access their phones during the school day, with the changes due to take effect in September 2027. Schools will choose how to enforce the requirement, which goes beyond policies that allow phones to remain in pupils’ bags if they are not seen or heard.

The department says schools should ensure phones are inaccessible throughout the day. Possible approaches include collecting devices on arrival, keeping them in secure storage or lockable pouches, and prohibiting pupils from bringing phones onto school grounds. The guidance does not prescribe one method for all schools.

The government says existing rules do not make clear how schools should enforce phone-free environments. The Department for Education reported that only 16% of secondary pupils said phone rules were followed all the time, according to a survey conducted in June. That figure reflects pupils’ reports, rather than an independently measured rate of compliance.

School leaders’ unions said more robust measures could bring significant costs and called for additional funding and support. NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said...