School mobile phone ban to be enforced by law in major new step

School mobile phone ban to be enforced by law in major new stepHeadteachers will be required to ban pupils from using mobile phones during school hours under the new amendment planned by the government - the move will bring existing guidance into lawCommentsNewsBenedict Tetzlaff-Deas News Reporter18:16, 20 Apr 2026Updated 18:37, 20 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesSchool mobile phone bans will be made a legal requirement under new plans announced by the government (file photo)(Image: Getty Images)Children will be banned from using mobile phones at school by law under new plans unveiled by the government.‌Number 10 will seek to make existing reccomendations on phone use in schools statutory by introducing an amendment in the House of Lords to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.‌Currently, Department for Education (DfE) advises headteachers to stop pupils from using the devices on school grounds - but they are free to ignore this guidance if they wish.‌It comes after one study found that it can take students up to 20 minutes to fully refocus on learning after being distracted by a non-academic phone notification.READ MORE: Which social media sites could face UK ban - as PM meets Facebook and GoogleREAD MORE: Parents 'disgusted' by Liverpool school toilet ban during lessonsView 3 ImagesIt can take pupils up to 20 minutes to fully refocus after being distracted by a notification, one study found (file photo)(Image: AFP via Getty Images)A spokesperson for the DfE said: "We have been consistently clear that mobile phones have no place in schools, and the majority already prohibit them. "This amendment makes existing guidance statutory, giving legal force to what schools are already doing in practice. "It builds on the steps we've already taken to strengthen enforcement, with Ofsted considering schools' mobile phone policies as part of inspection from this month. "We will always put children's interests first, including through...