iFairy working template · Policy
Mobile phone policy (phone-free school day)
A ready-to-adapt policy that prohibits pupils' use of mobile phones and similar smart devices throughout the school day, in line with the DfE statutory guidance that schools should follow from 1 September 2026. Covers storage, staff use, sanctions and confiscation, searching, reasonable adjustments, sixth form, trips and communicating with parents.
iFairy working template — not official guidance. Built by reading the official documents listed under "Based on"; each requirement cites the document and section it comes from. Check the current official wording before you adopt it, and adapt it to your setting and your local authority or trust procedures.
| Do you need one? | Mobile phones in schools is statutory guidance (in force 29 June 2026; schools should follow it from 1 September 2026), but it is written as 'should': DfE expects schools to prohibit pupils' phone use throughout the school day. The underlying legal duties are a 'must': every school must have a behaviour policy, and schools must make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and support pupils with medical conditions. The phone policy can sit inside the behaviour policy or stand alone. |
|---|---|
| Why this template | DfE now expects every school to be phone-free by default, and the guidance became statutory in June 2026. It is short, but schools still have to decide how phones are stored, what happens on a breach, and how to handle medical needs, disability and young carers lawfully. This template turns the guidance and the DfE case studies into a policy you can adapt, with each requirement cited. |
| Review | Annually, alongside the behaviour policy, and whenever DfE updates the mobile phones guidance. |
| Last checked by iFairy |
1. Purpose, status and which devices are covered
Explain why the school is phone-free, where the policy sits, and which devices it covers.
Must include
- All schools should be mobile phone-free by default; anything else should be by exception only.
“All schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default; anything other than this should be by exception only.”
Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in school' - The policy should prohibit use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality (for example able to send or receive messages or notifications, or record audio or video) throughout the school day, including lessons, time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in school'
- The phone policy is part of the behaviour policy or a standalone document. Bring Your Own Device schemes for laptops or tablets should not include mobile phones.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), sections 'Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in school' and 'Implementing a policy on prohibiting the use of mobile phones'
Decide and write down
- Will this be a section of the behaviour policy or a standalone policy?
- Which devices are covered: smartwatches, earbuds, tablets with mobile data?
- When does your 'school day' start and end (gate, first bell, breakfast club, after-school clubs)?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
[School name] is a mobile phone-free school. From [arrival on site / the first bell] until [the end of the school day / leaving the site], pupils may not use mobile phones or other smart devices that can send or receive messages or notifications or record sound or video, including [smartwatches]. This applies in lessons, between lessons, at breaktime and at lunchtime. This policy forms part of our behaviour policy.
2. How phones are managed during the day
Record the practical arrangement so staff, pupils and parents know exactly what happens to a phone from arrival to home time.
Must include
- DfE expects a policy under which pupils do not have access to their phone throughout the school day; it is for headteachers to decide how to achieve this in their context.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Implementing a policy on prohibiting the use of mobile phones'
- Approaches described by DfE include lockers and handing phones to staff at the start of the day, which keep a phone available for the journey to and from school.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Implementing a policy on prohibiting the use of mobile phones'
- Case-study schools use lockable pouches, hand-in to a year group manager, collection at the gate for pupils who walk alone, phased 'simple phone' rules, or no phones on site except agreed exceptions.Source: Mobile phones in schools — creating phone free environment school case, case studies 1 to 6
Decide and write down
- Which model fits your site: not brought in, handed in, locked away, or locked in a pouch on the pupil?
- Who collects and returns phones, where are they stored, and who is liable if one is lost?
- Primary: which pupils genuinely need a phone for the journey, and how will they hand it in?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
Pupils who need a phone for their journey [hand it in to [role] at [place] on arrival / place it, switched off, in [their locker / a lockable pouch]] and collect it at [time/place]. Phones must not be seen, heard or used during the school day. [Primary: Pupils in Years [x] to [y] who walk to or from school alone may bring a phone, which they hand in at the gate.]
3. The role of staff
Make sure every adult enforces the policy the same way and models it.
Must include
- All staff should enforce the policy consistently, and should not use their own phone for personal reasons in front of pupils during the school day.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The role of staff'
- There may be appropriate work uses (for example issuing homework, rewards or sanctions, or multi-factor authentication), and leaders should be clear with staff about expectations.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The role of staff'
Decide and write down
- Which work uses of a phone are allowed in front of pupils, and where can staff make personal calls?
- Does your staff code of conduct match this section?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
Staff do not use their mobile phones for personal reasons in front of pupils during the school day. Personal calls are made in [staff room / office]. Staff may use a phone for [multi-factor authentication / the behaviour system / emergencies on trips].
4. Expectations for pupils
Make sure pupils know the rules, the reasons and the consequences.
Must include
- Pupils should be reminded of the policy and the consequences of breaking it at the start of each school year and at regular intervals.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Expectations for pupils'
- Pupils should be taught the risks of phone use (for example loss of focus, disruption and bullying) and the benefits of a phone-free environment.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Expectations for pupils'
- The policy should make clear the rules, the consequences of breaking them, the role of staff, and how reasonable adjustments are made.Source: Behaviour in Schools (Feb 2024), section 'Mobile phones'
Decide and write down
- Where in your PSHE/RSHE or tutor programme will pupils learn why the school is phone-free?
- When will you re-teach the rules (September, after holidays, after a spike in breaches)?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
Every pupil is taught our phone rules, the reasons for them, and the consequences for breaking them in [September induction], with reminders [each half term]. Our [PSHE/RSHE] programme covers the risks of phone and social media use.
5. Parents and contact during the day
Explain the policy to parents and give them a reliable way to reach their child.
Must include
- The policy and the reasons for it should be explained to parents; parents who need to contact their child during the day should be directed to the school office.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The role of parents'
- When introducing or changing the policy: consult parents and pupils, inform them well in advance, consider trial days or weeks, use a variety of communication methods, and talk directly with parents of pupils who may need an adjustment.Source: Mobile phones in schools — communicating your policy prohibiting use parents, section 'Introducing or amending a mobile phone policy'
- Schools should publish details of the phone policy, either within the behaviour policy or as a standalone document.Source: Mobile phones in schools — communicating your policy prohibiting use parents, section 'Methods of communication with parents'
Decide and write down
- How will office staff relay urgent messages, and how quickly?
- How will you consult parents on journey-safety concerns before a change?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
If you need to contact your child during the school day, please call the school office on [number]. Staff will pass on urgent messages [straight away]. Please support the policy by not messaging your child during the school day.
6. Breaches, sanctions and confiscation
Set out a clear, proportionate response to breaches that staff can apply consistently.
Must include
- Schools can use a range of sanctions for breaches, including confiscation and detentions, and should feel confident to confiscate a phone where the policy is clearly breached, for example a phone used or heard ringing.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The use of sanctions'
- Headteachers may confiscate phones for whatever length of time they consider proportionate, considering the intended outcome, alternatives, and the pupil's circumstances such as age and SEND.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The use of sanctions'
- The law protects staff from liability for loss of or damage to confiscated items, provided they acted lawfully.Source: Behaviour in Schools (Feb 2024), section 'Searching, screening and confiscation'
- Staff should consider whether the misbehaviour suggests a pupil may be at risk of harm and, if so, follow the child protection policy and speak to the DSL.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The use of sanctions'
Decide and write down
- First breach: confiscated until the end of the day, or collected by a parent? Repeated breaches: longer confiscation or daily hand-in to the office?
- How will a refusal to hand over a phone be handled?
- Where are confiscated phones kept securely, and who logs them?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
If a phone is seen, heard or used, it will be confiscated [and kept in [the main office safe]]. First time: returned [at the end of the day / to a parent]. Repeat breaches: [confiscated for [x] days / pupil hands phone in to [office] every morning for [x] weeks]. Refusing to hand over a phone is treated as [defiance under the behaviour policy] and referred to [pastoral lead].
7. Searching for phones
Make sure searches for phones are lawful.
Must include
- Headteachers can and should list mobile phones and similar devices in the behaviour policy as items that may be searched for; staff should follow the searching, screening and confiscation guidance.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Searching pupils'
Decide and write down
- Are phones on the list of items your behaviour policy says can be searched for?
- Which staff are authorised to search for them?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
Mobile phones and similar devices are listed in our behaviour policy as items that may be searched for. Searches are carried out only by staff authorised by the headteacher, following our behaviour policy and the DfE searching, screening and confiscation guidance.
8. Exceptions and reasonable adjustments
Meet the school's equality and medical duties without undermining the policy.
Must include
- Schools must still meet other legal duties, including reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils; allowing phone access where a disability makes it necessary may be a reasonable adjustment, and failing to do so may breach the duty.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Adaptations and reasonable adjustments'
- Where a phone allows a pupil to manage a medical condition (for example glucose monitoring for diabetes), it would not be reasonable to prevent this.
“Where mobile phone use allows pupils to manage their medical condition effectively, it would not be reasonable for a school to prevent this.”
Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Adaptations and reasonable adjustments' - Schools should allow flexibility for pupils whose circumstances (including at home, for example young carers) mean they need access, but this means use for a specific purpose at specific times and places, not exemption from all rules. Each case should be assessed on its merits.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Adaptations and reasonable adjustments'
Decide and write down
- Who decides on exceptions, and how are they recorded (individual healthcare plan, support plan, young carers plan)?
- Where and when may an exempted pupil use the phone (for example in a head of year's office)?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
Parents may ask for an exception by contacting [role]. We will agree an exception where it is needed because of a disability or medical condition, and consider other circumstances such as caring responsibilities case by case. Agreed arrangements are recorded in [the pupil's plan] and set out when, where and for what purpose the phone may be used.
9. Sixth form, boarding and trips
Settle the edge cases before they become disputes.
Must include
- Schools should consider whether sixth-form students may have limited access at set times and places, prohibiting their use in front of younger pupils (for example only in a sixth-form common room); misuse should be open to sanctions.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in school'
- Boarding and residential schools should prohibit use throughout the teaching day and make arrangements for boarders to contact families in private.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in school'
- Schools should decide how phones are managed on residential trips and trips outside the school day, and consider prohibiting or restricting use.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The use of mobile phones outside the school day'
Decide and write down
- Sixth form: no access, or access in a named space at named times?
- Trips: are phones collected, and how do pupils contact home and report online concerns?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
[Sixth-form students may use phones only in [the sixth-form centre] during [study periods/lunch].] On residential trips, phones are [collected by staff and returned at [time] for contact with home]. The trip leader will explain the arrangements to parents beforehand.
10. Online safety, monitoring and review
Link the policy to online safety and check whether it is working.
Must include
- Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure appropriate filtering and monitoring systems are in place and regularly reviewed, in line with KCSIE.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in school'
- Pupils should be able to access their phone where necessary to raise concerns with teachers about something that happened online.Source: Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The use of mobile phones outside the school day'
- Leaders' and pupils' views on compliance differ: in 2025 most secondary leaders said pupils followed the rules most of the time, while about a third of year 7 to 13 pupils said pupils rarely or never did. Pupil voice is worth collecting.Source: Mobile phones in schools — national behaviour suvery report 2024 2025, Findings 1, section 'School mobile phone policy'
Decide and write down
- What will you count (confiscations, repeat breaches, refusals, exceptions) and who reviews it?
- How will you hear from pupils about hidden phone use, for example through anonymous surveys?
Starter wording (edit the highlighted parts)
[Role] reviews confiscation and exception records each [term] and reports to governors. We ask pupils, staff and parents about the policy [annually]. A pupil who needs to show a member of staff something that happened online will be [supervised to access their phone in [office]] and the concern passed to the DSL where needed.
Checklist
- Decide and write down where phones are kept from arrival to home time. (Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Implementing a policy on prohibiting the use of mobile phones')
- Add mobile phones to the behaviour policy's list of items that may be searched for. (Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Searching pupils')
- Publish details of the policy (within the behaviour policy or standalone) on the website. (Mobile phones in schools — communicating your policy prohibiting use parents, section 'Methods of communication with parents')
- Brief all staff, including on their own phone use in front of pupils. (Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The role of staff')
- Contact the parents of pupils with medical needs, disabilities or caring responsibilities to agree any adjustment before the policy starts. (Mobile phones in schools — communicating your policy prohibiting use parents, section 'Introducing or amending a mobile phone policy')
- Teach the rules and the reasons to every pupil each September. (Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'Expectations for pupils')
- Set up an office process for parents' urgent messages. (Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4), section 'The role of parents')
- Align the staff code of conduct, online safety, young carers and supporting pupils with medical conditions policies.
Watch out
- Dates: the guidance became statutory on 29 June 2026, and schools should follow it from 1 September 2026. A policy that still lets pupils use phones at break or lunch, or in lessons with permission, is out of line with it. In May 2025, 2% of leaders said pupils could use phones in lessons when a teacher allowed it and 1% at break and lunch only.
- The guidance is written as 'should'. It is statutory, so schools must have regard to it and need a good reason to depart from it. Disability and medical-condition duties are legal 'musts' and override a blanket ban for the pupils concerned.
- The case studies are examples, not rules. For instance, one school's one-week confiscation shows what a school chose to do, not a DfE timescale. Set your own sanctions and apply them proportionately.
- Banning phones does not remove online risks. Keep the online safety and filtering arrangements in your child protection policy current.
- Check GOV.UK for the current version of 'Mobile phones in schools' before adopting. This library holds the version updated 29 June 2026.
Based on these official documents
Main source
Mobile phones in schools (file 3 of 4)
The statutory guidance itself (GOV.UK page 'Mobile phones in schools', updated 29 June 2026): the prohibition, implementation, staff, pupils, parents, sanctions, searching, adjustments and use outside the school day. No paragraph numbers, so locators are section headings.
Supporting source
Mobile phones in schools — communicating your policy prohibiting use parents
Tips for introducing or changing the policy, reinforcing it, and the duty to publish details of it.
Supporting source
Mobile phones in schools — creating phone free environment school case
Six worked examples (pouches, phased 'simple phone' approach, lockers, hand-in, collection at the gate, no phones on site) used to frame the storage options. These are examples, not requirements.
Supporting source
Behaviour in Schools (Feb 2024)
The phone section of the behaviour guidance: what the policy should make clear, and the lawful basis for confiscation.
Supporting source
Mobile phones in schools — national behaviour suvery report 2024 2025
Context for monitoring: how schools' phone policies vary and how often leaders, teachers and pupils say the rules are followed (May/June 2025 data). Official statistics, not guidance.