London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Education secretary wants ban on mobile phones in English schools

Education secretary wants ban on mobile phones in English schools

Gavin Williamson launches consultation on behaviour, but unions say it is an attempt to distract from government’s Covid failures
Mobile phones could be banned in schools as part of a government clampdown on poor discipline in classrooms in England.

The education secretary, Gavin Williamson, said he wants a ban on mobile phones as he launched a consultation on pupil behaviour and discipline in schools. He said he wanted to make the school day “mobile-free” to help ensure that classrooms remain calm and pupils can overcome the impact of the pandemic.

“Mobile phones are not just distracting, but when misused or overused, they can have a damaging effect on a pupil’s mental health and wellbeing,” the education secretary said. “I want to put an end to this, making the school day mobile-free.”

Headteachers and teaching unions hit back, insisting that mobile phone policies were a matter for schools. They accused the education secretary of playing to backbench MPs and using the issue as a distraction from the government’s failures on education during the pandemic.

Williamson is asking teachers, parents and other school staff for their views and policies on managing good behaviour in classrooms, before updating government guidance on behaviour, discipline, suspensions and permanent exclusions later this year.

As well as mobile phone policies, the government is looking at the use of “removal rooms” in schools and so-called managed moves where a pupil is transferred to another school, often as a way of avoiding a formal expulsion.

Announcing the six-week consultation on Tuesday, Williamson said: “No parent wants to send their child to a school where poor behaviour is rife. Every school should be a safe place that allows young people to thrive and teachers to excel.

“In order for us to help pupils overcome the challenges from the pandemic and level up opportunity for all young people, we need to ensure they can benefit from calm classrooms which support them to thrive.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, accused the education secretary of being “obsessed” with mobile phones in schools. “In reality, every school will already have a robust policy on the use of mobile phones; it isn’t some sort of digital free-for-all.

“Frankly, school and college leaders would prefer the education secretary to be delivering an ambitious post-pandemic recovery plan and setting out how he intends to minimise educational disruption next term, rather than playing to backbenchers on the subject of behaviour.”

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, added: “Talking about mobile phones is a distraction. Schools generally have very clear policies and will not see the need for another consultation.”

Sarah Hannafin, senior policy adviser for school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Mobile phone bans work for some schools but there isn’t one policy that will work for all schools. Outright banning mobile phones can cause more problems than it solves.”

Crackdowns on discipline and behaviour in schools play well not only with Conservative backbenchers, but are a favourite with the wider Tory faithful. Williamson’s latest call for evidence comes after a £10m investment in “behaviour hubs”, which will see leaders from high-performing multi-academy trusts working with schools where behaviour and discipline are poorer.

The majority of schools already have policies in place limiting the use of phones in classrooms, and about half of secondary schools and most primary schools do not allow phones to be used at break or lunchtime either, but rules and sanctions are not always applied consistently.

The education secretary has previously said that mobile phones can act as a “breeding ground” for cyberbullying, and earlier this month the head of Ofsted highlighted their use in the sexual harassment and abuse of schoolgirls.

Ofsted’s chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, said there was a legitimate discussion to be had about the appropriateness of mobiles in schools. “We found they were frequently enabling harassment and abuse, through sharing nudes,” she said, acknowledging however that “banning phones in schools does not stop harassment and abuse going on outside schools”.

Ofsted announced on Monday that it had updated its inspection handbook to beef up its oversight of schools’ handling of sexual harassment, abuse and violence among pupils, after the publication of its recent report, which found incidents were so common that many pupils did not bother to report them.

From September, where schools do not have adequate measures in place to protect pupils, safeguarding will be regarded as ineffective and the overall grade is likely to be “inadequate”, Ofsted said.

School leaders are expected to assume that sexual misconduct is happening in and around their school, even in the absence of any reports, and to adopt a whole-school approach. Ofsted will consider how schools handle allegations when they occur, and what preventative measures to put in place, including behaviour policies and the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum.

Sean Harford, Ofsted’s national education director, said: “We will expect schools and colleges to have created a culture where sexual abuse and harassment is not acceptable and never tolerated. And where pupils are supported to report any concerns about harmful sexual behaviour and can feel confident they will be taken seriously.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×