England schools must ban phones for entire school day— Phillipson

(MENAFN) Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has instructed that all schools in England adopt a phone-free policy for the entire school day.

In a letter to schools, she said it was "not appropriate for phones to be used as calculators, or for research during lessons," and added that phones should also not be used during breaks or lunchtime.

Phillipson confirmed that Ofsted will evaluate schools on how effectively they implement their mobile phone policies. Teachers have also been advised not to use phones in front of pupils.

One head teachers' union criticized the move, saying that using Ofsted to "police" schools' mobile phone policies was "deeply unhelpful and misguided."

Schools were first provided guidance on phone use by the previous Conservative government in February 2024, but Phillipson said that it "did not deliver the clarity or consistency that schools need." She added that the government had now "strengthened" the guidance, making it clear that pupils should not use phones while at school.

The letter comes less than a week after the government announced a three-month consultation on banning social media for all under-16s in the UK. Phillipson encouraged teachers to "contribute your professional insight."

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