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.
Total Ban During School Day
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 lessons, 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 Enforcement
Ofsted inspectors will formally check that schools have a clear policy and are consistently enforcing it. Secretary of State for Education 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."
School Discretion and Exceptions
The law states that the school environment must be phone-free but gives schools discretion on how to achieve it. Common methods include a total ban on phones on premises, students handing over devices at the start of the day, or pupils keeping phones turned off. Schools may allow older students (Years 12 and 13) access to their phones in designated areas, such as a sixth-form common room, as long as they are not used in front of younger pupils. Exceptions are made for students who require phones to manage medical conditions, like monitoring blood sugar levels for diabetes.
Parental Concerns and Workarounds
New research from Uswitch reveals that half of parents expect their child will find a workaround to the new rules, and a third predict greater screen time demands at home after school. Nearly half of UK parents are unaware that hidden browsers and VPNs can bypass parental controls, while three in 10 parents with safety settings 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.
Expert and Official Comments
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."
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." His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, 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."
