Smartphone ban in schools has become the focus of a new national campaign backed by campaigners, parents and celebrities. Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, and Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet are calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to introduce a legal ban, warning that current guidance has left schools with a “postcode lottery” on phone use.
As pupils across England and Wales return to class this week, Ghey said research shows only 11% of secondary schools operate a full ban requiring smartphones to be locked away during the school day. She believes that if such a policy had been in place earlier, it could have protected her daughter, who was “sucked away from society and into the online world where she was at risk of so many harms.”
Education — Read more on EyeOnLondon
Explore connected stories and keep reading for context, analysis and updates.
Childcare funding to be expanded
What the planned expansion could mean for families, early years settings and the school readiness gap.
Read the articleBooks to be VAT-exempt in Denmark to promote reading
A zero-VAT move aimed at boosting literacy — and the questions it raises for UK reading policy.
Read the articleWaterstones opens more stores as reading is embraced
High-street bookselling grows again — what renewed demand means for libraries, schools and publishers.
Read the articleBrianna, a transgender teenager from Warrington, was murdered in February 2023 by two classmates. Her mother said her addiction to her phone contributed to her vulnerability. At school, there were 120 safeguarding issues linked to her phone use, ranging from exploitation risks to eating disorder concerns, as well as over 100 behaviour incidents involving social media.
The government currently leaves the decision to headteachers, who are expected to develop their own phone policies. A 2024 Department for Education directive advised schools to prohibit use throughout the day, but it is not statutory. Research earlier this year among more than 2,400 secondary schools found that while most restricted phones in some way, only 3.5% banned them entirely from school grounds.
The Phone Free Education campaign is now calling for a legal ban with government funding for lockable pouches or similar systems. Supporters include actor Stephen Graham, singer Will Young, campaigner Frank Bruno, the parenting site Mumsnet and academic Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, who links smartphones to rising child mental illness.
Winslet, who played a mother struggling with her daughter’s online dependency in Channel 4’s I Am Ruth, said: “Every child deserves to be in classrooms free from the distraction and highly addictive nature of smartphones. A statutory ban would be a vital step towards protecting the mental health of young people.”
Ghey added that since her daughter’s former school adopted a pouch system, teachers noticed pupils socialising more, “laughing, joking, even arguing, but face-to-face, which is all part of growing up.”
The government has resisted calls for legislation, with ministers pointing out that schools already have powers to ban phones. A spokesperson added that protections are also being strengthened through the Online Safety Act.
For more independent coverage of London’s education, crime and justice stories, follow EyeOnLondon. We’d love to hear your views in the comments.
Follow us on:
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!
We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!
