Mobile Phones in Schools: The Rules Parents Need to Know Now the All-Day Ban Is Statutory
The rules on mobile phones in schools in England changed this term. The Department for Education’s guidance, “Mobile phones in schools”, became statutory on 29 June 2026, and schools were expected to follow it from 1 September 2026. It says pupils should not use their phones at all during the school day: not in lessons, not between lessons, not at break and not at lunch. How a school achieves that is up to the head. This page explains what the guidance requires, what schools can do when a phone is used, the exceptions for medical needs and disability, and what it means for sixth formers.
What the guidance says
The DfE first published “Mobile phones in schools” in February 2024 as non-statutory advice, revised it in January 2026, and made it statutory from 29 June 2026. The core line is short: all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default, and anything else should be by exception only. Every school must already have a behaviour policy. Within it, or as a standalone document, schools should now have a mobile phone policy that prohibits phone use throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime.
The ban covers more than phones. It extends to other smart technology with similar functions, such as devices that send or receive messages or notifications over the mobile network, or that can record audio or video. Schools decide exactly which devices their policy names, so check whether smartwatches are included at your child’s school.
School-issued laptops or tablets used for learning come under a separate “bring your own device” policy, and the DfE says those policies should not include mobile phones.
Which schools it applies to
The guidance applies to all maintained schools, academies, free schools, non-maintained special schools and independent schools in England. It does not apply to 16 to 19 academies, 16 to 19 free schools, further education and sixth-form colleges, or other standalone post-16 institutions, although they can use it if they wish. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own policies.
Does my child have to hand their phone in?
Not necessarily. The DfE leaves the method to headteachers. Some schools use lockers, so pupils still have their phone for the journey to and from school; some collect phones at the start of the day; others use lockable pouches or simply require phones to be switched off and out of sight. What the guidance is clear on is the outcome: pupils should not have access to their phones during the school day. Your child’s school must publish its policy, so read it before the first day of term, especially at a move to secondary school.
How do I contact my child during the day?
Through the school office. The guidance says parents who need to reach their child during the school day should be directed to the office, and office staff should know the school’s arrangements for relaying messages. If there is an emergency or a change to pick-up arrangements, phone the school rather than messaging your child.
Can a school confiscate my child’s phone?
Yes. Confiscation and detention are both named as sanctions schools can use for a breach, for example when a phone is used or heard ringing in a bag. The DfE says headteachers are backed to confiscate phones for whatever length of time they consider proportionate. The law also protects staff from liability for loss or damage to a confiscated item, provided they acted lawfully.
Proportionate is the key word. Schools should think about what the confiscation is meant to achieve, whether something else would achieve it, and the pupil’s age and any special educational needs. If you think a confiscation was unreasonable, for example because your child needed the phone to get home safely, raise it with the school first and then use its complaints procedure.
Can staff search for a phone?
Headteachers, and staff they authorise, have a statutory power to search a pupil or their belongings where they have reasonable grounds to suspect the pupil has an item that the school rules list as one that may be searched for. The guidance says heads can and should list mobile phones in the behaviour policy as such an item. Searches must follow the DfE’s separate guidance on searching, screening and confiscation.
Exceptions: medical needs, disability and young carers
The ban is the default, not absolute. Three groups should expect flexibility:
- Medical conditions. Maintained schools and academies must support pupils with medical conditions. The guidance gives the example of a pupil with diabetes whose continuous glucose monitor sends readings to their phone. Where phone use lets a pupil manage their condition, the DfE says it would not be reasonable to prevent it.
- Disability. Under the Equality Act 2010 schools must make reasonable adjustments to avoid substantial disadvantage to a disabled pupil. Allowing phone access where a disability requires it may be such an adjustment, and refusing could breach the duty. Our page on SEND rights at school covers how to ask.
- Home circumstances. Some pupils, such as young carers, may need access because of their situation at home. Schools are told to build flexibility into their policies for them.
Flexibility does not mean unrestricted use. The guidance expects use for a specific purpose at specific times and places, such as in a head of year’s office. Put any request in writing with the reason and, for medical needs, ask for it to go into your child’s individual healthcare plan.
Sixth formers
Schools with sixth forms can decide whether older students get limited access at certain times and places, reflecting their greater independence. They should not use phones in front of younger pupils, for example by limiting use to a sixth-form common room, and misuse can still lead to sanctions. Separate sixth-form colleges are outside the guidance altogether.
Boarding schools
Boarding and residential schools should prohibit phones throughout the teaching day, and set their own rules for evenings and weekends in line with the national minimum standards, including arrangements for boarders to contact their families privately.
What about teachers?
Staff should not use their own phones for personal reasons in front of pupils during the school day. There are allowed work uses, such as setting homework, recording rewards and sanctions, or multi-factor sign-in.
Why the DfE made it statutory
The guidance points to loss of focus in lessons, classroom disruption and an increase in bullying, and asks schools to teach pupils both the risks of phone use and the benefits of a phone-free day. Phones are often how bullying follows a child out of the playground; if that is happening, see our page on what parents can do about bullying.
For other everyday questions about uniforms, illness and attendance, see the school life FAQ, or go back to the Schools Insight homepage.
Sources: DfE: Mobile phones in schools (statutory guidance); DfE: searching, screening and confiscation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are mobile phones banned in schools in England?
Yes. DfE guidance that became statutory on 29 June 2026 says schools should prohibit phone use throughout the school day, including lessons, break and lunch. Schools were expected to follow it from 1 September 2026.
Can a school keep my child's phone overnight?
The DfE backs headteachers to confiscate phones for whatever length of time they consider proportionate, taking account of the pupil’s age, needs and circumstances. Check your school’s published policy for its own limits.
Can my child carry a phone to and from school?
Usually yes. The guidance leaves the method to schools, and many use lockers or collect phones at the start of the day so pupils still have them for the journey.
Is my child allowed a phone for a medical condition?
Yes, where it is needed. The guidance gives the example of a glucose monitor linked to a phone and says it would not be reasonable to stop a pupil using a phone to manage their condition.
Does the phone ban apply to sixth form colleges?
No. It does not apply to sixth-form colleges, FE colleges or 16 to 19 academies. School sixth forms can allow limited use away from younger pupils.
Does the ban include smartwatches?
It can. The guidance covers smart technology with similar functions to a phone, such as receiving messages or recording, and each school decides which devices its policy names.