6 February 2026
The DfE’s updated guidance, published in January 2026, sets an unequivocal expectation: pupils should not have access to their phones at any point during the school day, including lessons, between lessons, breaktimes and lunch. That means the old policies of keeping phones in pockets and bags, “not seen or heard” is no longer enough.
A new era of “nonstatutory” expectations
Although presented as nonstatutory, Ofsted has made clear that schools risk failing to meet the “expected standard” for behaviour and attendance if they do not implement a phonefree environment.
This creates an unusual tension. There is no law banning phones in schools, schools remain free, in theory, to set their own behaviour policies. In practice, however, Ofsted’s inspection framework effectively elevates the guidance to the status of expectation—leaving many leaders feeling compelled to comply or risk adverse inspection outcomes.
The Education Secretary has doubled down on this stance, telling schools that phones should not even be used as calculators or for research during lessons, making the default position even tighter than before.
Practicalities, pressures, and policy grey areas
The guidance’s extension to other smart technology, such as devices capable of recording audio or video, adds complexity. While laptops and tablets remain permissible under BYOD schemes, policymakers seem blissfully unaware that all computing devices have similar capabilities today. It’s not about the hardware; it’s the functionality of the software! The boundary is pedagogically messy, and schools will need clear justifications for where they draw the line.
To support enforcement, schools are encouraged to use their existing legal powers confidently. Staff can confiscate phones and are legally protected from liability if an item is lost or damaged while being held as a disciplinary measure.
The guidance also nudges leaders toward explicitly listing mobile phones as items that can be searched for under the statutory powers available to headteachers and authorised staff. This marks a significant cultural shift, moving the issue into more formal safeguarding territory.
The expectations extend to staff behaviour too. Teachers are not to use their own phones for personal reasons in front of pupils, framing consistency as a key element of culture.
Even sixthformers are expected to refrain from using phones in front of younger students—challenging longstanding norms in many schools.
Practical implementation is left deliberately open. The DfE mentions options such as:
- Securing phones in lockers.
- Pupils handing devices in at the start of the day.
However, both approaches require staffing, systems, and sometimes significant financial investment. Some schools have spent £75,000 or more on commercial locking solutions, fuelling concerns about whether these are wise uses of public funds when no implementation money is provided.
Culture, communication and the role of parents
Alongside restrictions, the DfE expects schools to teach pupils about the benefits of a phonefree environment, framing the move as a positive for wellbeing, focus and healthy social interaction. This shift from mere rulesetting to active cultural education may require new approaches to pastoral communication.
Schools must also prepare for new expectations on parental communication. The guidance states that parents should not contact their children directly during the school day but should instead go through the school office. This may cause friction—particularly for parents who rely on immediate communication for care responsibilities or personal reassurance. Schools may need to prepare carefully for both increased administrative workload and possible pushback.
Finally, the guidance sits alongside the unambiguous legal requirement to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. For some pupils with disabilities, medical needs or SEND, phone access during the school day may be essential. The law requires policies to accommodate these needs, meaning no school can truly operate a one-size-fits-all ban without flexibility.
Where this leaves schools
The current policy landscape is characterised less by new law and more by policy enforced through inspection pressure. Schools are being asked to implement significant cultural and logistical changes without statutory backing or funding, yet with strong signals that noncompliance could affect inspection outcomes.
Whatever happened to preparing students for navigating adult life? Whether this approach will genuinely improve focus, behaviour and wellbeing—or instead create tensions with families, increased workload for staff, and substantial new costs—remains to be seen. One thing is certain, phones in schools have become far more than a behaviour policy issue. They now sit at the centre of debates about autonomy, safeguarding, digital literacy, and the evolving relationship between government, Ofsted and school leadership.
