Disruptive phones have no place in schools, education secretary says

Bridget Phillipson said headteachers have the Government’s ‘full backing’ on removing phones from classrooms.

Smartphones have “no place” in schools, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has declared, warning of the damage caused by social media and technology to pupils’ learning and behaviour.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in Liverpool, Ms Phillipson emphasised that schools across England have the Government’s full support in banning phones from classrooms. She revealed that officials had been tasked with exploring how to “more effectively monitor” the enforcement of mobile phone restrictions.

Her comments follow concerns raised by Manny Botwe, president of the ASCL, who highlighted that smartphones and social media are increasingly “being weaponised” against schools. The school leader from Macclesfield called for an end to the “chaos” created by social media and urged stronger measures to bring platforms “to heel”.

Government backs schools in banning phones

In her speech to around 1,000 school and college leaders on Friday, Ms Phillipson said:

“You know, we all know, that phones are disruptive, distracting, and bad for behaviour. They have no place in our schools.

“And the Government’s position is clear: you have our full backing in ridding our classrooms of the disruption of phones.

“I know that will be the case in the overwhelming majority of classrooms, but I expect it to be true in all classrooms.

“So I tasked my officials to look at how we can more effectively monitor what’s happening on the ground.”

Last year, the former Conservative government issued non-statutory guidance advising schools to ban the use of mobile phones during the school day. However, concerns remain over whether these measures have been effectively implemented.

Concerns over the impact of smartphones

Speaking to the media at the conference, Ms Phillipson warned that excessive phone use is a driver of poor behaviour in classrooms. She urged school leaders to enforce the existing guidance rigorously.

“The Conservatives brought in this policy, I think it was the right approach to take. What we need to ensure is that it’s being enforced right across the country, in every classroom.

“So we’ll be looking into what more data we need to gather in order to identify if it’s not happening, and what more schools need to do to take action.”

When asked if parents should also restrict phone use at home, she acknowledged that many parents are concerned about children’s exposure to inappropriate online content.

“I know lots of parents are worried about access to inappropriate material online and what children can be exposed to. That’s why we are taking action through the Online Safety Act.

“I think the evidence is increasingly clear that we shouldn’t be allowing children unrestricted access to harmful content.

“There’s a role for government in that, there is a role for parents in that, and, as I said in my speech, schools have a role to play during the school day.”

Tackling school absences and special educational needs

In addition to phone bans, Ms Phillipson addressed the issue of school attendance, stressing that action must be taken to prevent children from missing school unnecessarily.

“Some schools are not making enough progress on absences, and I will not accept the damage that missing school causes to children’s education. We need some old-fashioned graft to improve attendance.”

During a Q&A session at the conference, the Education Secretary also discussed reforms to the system supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). She admitted that the current system, introduced in 2014, is failing many families.

“I think we need to take a step back from the system we have right now and start to think very differently about what it should look like.

“That’s a conversation that in the months to come we’ll be having with parents, but also with the profession, because this is complex.”

When asked whether the Government’s plans would make it harder for children to receive an education, health and care plan (EHCP), Ms Phillipson responded:

“I understand the anxiety that parents feel, not least because the system we’ve got at the moment is so adversarial, so pressured, where parents have to fight really hard.

“What I want to get to is a system where support is put in place far more quickly for children who need additional help—earlier identification of need, more timely attention, and better support.”

New inclusion advisory group to gather evidence

To support these reforms, Ms Phillipson announced that Tom Rees, who is leading the Government’s expert advisory group on inclusion, will launch a call for evidence on Saturday to identify the most effective ways to promote inclusion in mainstream schools.

With a renewed focus on discipline, attendance, and inclusivity, the Education Secretary signalled a shift in approach, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to ensuring a better learning environment for all students.