Lucy Powell said phones banned in schools will become tighter in England from September 2027, with pupils not allowed to access their phones at all during the school day. The Education Secretary said the message to parents and pupils was that school is for learning and friendship, not scrolling.
The stricter guidance will go beyond current no see, no hear rules when it takes effect. Schools will be able to decide how to follow it, and some will need secure storage or another system to keep phones out of pupils' reach.
Lucy Powell and June guidance
Statutory guidance already came into force in June, making schools and trusts legally responsible for being phone-free throughout the day. The new version adds a stronger expectation: pupils should not be able to access phones during the school day at all.
That change matters because it moves the issue from a basic no-use rule to a stricter restriction on possession and access. Schools in England that already use sealed pouches, secure lockers, phone collection at the start of the day or site-wide bans will not be starting from scratch, but others may need to build a system before September 2027.
Karl Harrison at Burnage Academy
Karl Harrison, head teacher at Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester, said the school had spent £20,000 on metal detectors and phone pouches. He said the restrictions had changed the atmosphere in school.
“People now can talk to each other, instead of scrolling on a device,” he said. “It's also increased levels of focus in lessons because now there's less distraction, and people are achieving higher grades.”
His example gives a practical picture of what compliance can cost and what schools may try to protect: the whole day, not just lesson time. If a school wants a phone-free day, it needs a way to store or secure devices from the moment pupils arrive.
NAHT and Association of School and College Leaders
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders union, said phones could raise safety issues and be an unhelpful distraction during the school day. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the latest guidance “does at least provide some clarity”.
Di'Iasio also said school leaders “cannot simply make mobile phones disappear” and warned that the cost would be very significant if every school were expected to provide lockable pouches or other secure storage for every pupil. Whiteman said the more robust measures would “come at a cost”.
The policy now leaves schools to choose the method, but the funding question is still open. If government expects every school to secure every phone, leaders say the bill will shape how fast the new rule can be put in place.
