New ban in force for all schools in England from Monday - no ifs, no buts

New ban in force for all schools in England from Monday - no ifs, no buts Ofsted will have the power to ensure schools are enforcing the law England's school smartphone ban becomes legally enforceable from Monday, June 29 as Section 36 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 officially comes into force. The change means the government’s school mobile phone guidance will have the full force of law across England. From Monday, schools must ensure that pupils do not have access to their mobile phones (or similar smart devices) throughout the entire school day. The restriction covers the whole school day, including during lessons, the time between classes, break times, and lunchtimes. The ban extends to smartphones and any similar communication technology, such as smartwatches that receive notifications or text messages. Passive or relaxed rules are no longer allowed. Ofsted inspectors will formally check that schools have a clear policy and are consistently enforcing it. The law states that the school environment must be phone-free, but gives schools the discretion on how they choose to achieve it. The most common methods schools will use include a total ban on phones on premises, students handing over devices at the start of the day and pupils keeping phones so long as they are turned off. Schools will be allowed to grant older students (Years 12 and 13) access to their phones in designated areas, like a sixth-form common room, as long as they aren't using them in front of younger pupils. Exceptions are made for students who require their phones to manage medical conditions - for example, monitoring blood sugar levels for diabetes. New research from Uswitch reveals that half of parents expect their child will find a workaround to the new rules. And a third predict there will be greater screen time demands at home after school. Meanwhile, nearly half of UK parents are unaware that hidden browsers and VPNs can bypass parental controls, while three in 10 parents with safety settings in place say their child has already found a way around them. Uswitch has launched the free Safer Screens tool, offering device-specific, step-by-step guidance tailored to each family's exact phone, tablet, and broadband provider. Ernest Doku, Uswitch technology expert, said: "For schools without a plan in place already, the smartphone ban will make a difference during the school day – but the challenge for most families doesn't stop at 3pm. With the summer holidays just around the corner, children will be spending more time at home with their devices than ever, and that's where parents often feel least in control. "Setting up parental controls is a good first step, but many parents don't realise that a hidden browser or VPN can bypass them entirely, and children often know this before their parents do. No tool or technology will ever completely close every gap, but for parents unsure how to handle phone use, understanding what their child's specific device can actually do puts them in a much stronger position." 'Mobile phones have no place in schools' Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: "We are determined to ensure technology enriches children’s lives, not harms them - and to give every child the childhood they deserve." Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "We have been clear that mobile phones have no place in our schools but now we’re going further through tougher guidance and stronger enforcement. Mobile phones have no place in schools. No ifs, no buts. Our Attendance and Behaviour Hubs will support schools that are struggling to effectively implement phone bans so all our children can learn in phone-free environments. "This comes alongside our world-leading curriculum reforms which will ensure children build the media and digital literacy skills needed to thrive at work and throughout life. " His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, Sir Martyn Oliver, said: "My message to headteachers is you now have all the backing - and the backing of my inspectors - to ban mobile phones in schools immediately. They chip away at children’s attention span, distract from learning and can be detrimental to children’s wellbeing."