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 on smartphones in schools. They warn that current guidance has created a 'postcode lottery', with only 11% of secondary schools fully banning phones or requiring them to be locked away all day.
Ghey said a ban would have 'solved so many issues' for her daughter, who was 'sucked away from society and into the online world where she was at risk of so many harms'. Brianna, 16, a transgender girl from Warrington, was described as addicted to her phone. She was killed by two teenagers in February 2023.
The government has resisted a ban, insisting headteachers can take their own actions. It issued guidance in 2024 that schools should prohibit phone use throughout the school day. However, research by the children's commissioner found that while 90% of schools have some restrictions, only 3.5% ban phones from grounds and 7.9% require pupils to hand them in all day.
The new Phone Free Education campaign, backed by figures including actor Stephen Graham, boxer Frank Bruno, singer Will Young, Mumsnet, and author Jonathan Haidt, is calling for a full legal ban with funding for lockable pouches. In an open letter, they said: 'Most schools are relying on children to resist a temptation even adults struggle with. It’s not fair, and it’s not working.'
Winslet said: 'Every child deserves to be in classrooms that are 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 Brianna's school had 120 safeguarding issues related to her phone use, including child sexual exploitation, eating disorders, and self-harm.
