Is a total ban legally required?

The DfE guidance expects mobile phones not to be used or seen during the school day. The exact model — locker, pouch, hand-in at reception, or off and away — is for the school to decide and apply consistently.

What about smartwatches?

Smartwatches that can message, browse, or take photos should be treated like phones. Make this explicit in the policy to avoid loopholes.

How do pupils contact home in an emergency?

Through reception or a designated staff member. Make this route obvious to pupils and parents so the absence of a phone never becomes a barrier to genuine need.

For leadership

Mobile Phone Policy Guide for Schools

A practical guide to choosing between no-phone, restricted, and BYOD approaches — including sanctions, safeguarding exceptions, parent communication, and template wording.

Overview

The Department for Education has set a clear direction that mobile phones should not be used or seen during the school day. KCSIE 2025 reinforces the safeguarding rationale: phones in lessons enable bullying, image sharing, and access to harmful content. This guide helps leadership choose and implement a workable approach.

Key points

Three common models: no phones on site, restricted (locker or pouch), or BYOD for learning.
Whichever model you choose, it must be consistently applied and clearly communicated.
Safeguarding exceptions (medical, caring responsibilities, journey safety) must be planned, not improvised.
Sanctions should escalate, focus on the behaviour, and avoid pulling children out of learning.
Parents need to understand the why before they accept the rule.
Staff phones during teaching are also part of the conversation.

Practical steps

Step 1

Choose your model with the senior team, governors, and pupil voice.

Step 2

Write the policy in plain English — three sides of A4 at most.

Step 3

Brief staff so the response to a phone seen in class is uniform.

Step 4

Send a parent letter at the start of the academic year explaining the model and reasons.

Step 5

Plan how pupils contact home in genuine emergencies under your chosen model.

Step 6

Review the policy after one term and again at the end of the year.

Checklist

Tick boxes are for on-screen working only — they do not save between visits. Use the checklist as a prompt and capture outcomes in your school's safeguarding system.

Chosen policy model agreed by SLT and governorsGreen
Policy written in plain English and publishedGreen
Staff briefed on consistent response to phones in lessonsAmber
Parent letter sent at start of year explaining the whyGreen
Safeguarding exception process documentedAmber
Sanctions ladder agreed and known by staffGreen
Review point diaried for one term inAmber

What not to do

Do not allow staff to confiscate and search devices without following the DfE Searching, Screening and Confiscation guidance.
Do not let inconsistent enforcement undermine the rule — one classroom that allows phones breaks the policy.
Do not forget pupils with caring or medical needs — plan for them, do not exempt them by accident.

Frequently Asked Questions

External sources

Mobile phones in schools guidance — Department for Education
Searching, screening and confiscation — Department for Education
Children, young people and mobile phones research — Ofcom

Last reviewed: 2026-05-20Next review: 2026-08-20Reviewed against: KCSIE 2025

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.