By Ellis Newton | April 20, 2026
A long-debated issue in schools is edging closer to legal certainty, as mobile phone restrictions move from guidance to legislation.
Education minister Baroness Smith told the House of Lords on Monday that existing guidance on mobile phone use in schools will be turned into a “clear legal requirement for schools”.
Current guidance already advises that phones should not be permitted in educational settings, but headteachers have previously been able to disregard this advice where they saw fit. The proposed amendment would “give legal force to what schools are already doing in practice,” a Department for Education spokesperson said.
Ofsted will also begin reviewing schools’ mobile phone policies as part of inspections from April.
While the measure has broad support across Westminster, it has drawn criticism from education leaders who argue it will make little practical difference. The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Pepe Di’Iasio, said it “doesn’t really change very much”, pointing out that most schools already enforce their own restrictions.
Instead, he argued that attention should be directed towards practical support for schools, adding: “What would really be helpful is for the government to make funding available to schools for the safe and secure storage of mobile phones, such as storage lockers or locked pouches.”
For those outside of England, it is important to note that, with education being a devolved matter, approaches to mobile phone use will differ across the United Kingdom.
In Scotland, government guidance introduced in 2024 allows headteachers to implement phone bans at their own discretion.
In Wales, there is no national ban, but schools retain the authority to restrict or prohibit device use within their own settings.
In Northern Ireland, a phone-free pilot scheme involving nine schools has recently concluded, with findings expected to be published in June.
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