Pupils will no longer be allowed to keep phones in their pockets or bags when Labour’s new ban in schools comes in, ministers have said.
Many head teachers currently operate a ‘not seen, not heard’ policy, allowing pupils to keep phones with them in lessons as long as they are switched to silent.
However, in future schools will have to make pupils hand in phones for the whole school day and keep them in secure storage.
The move was revealed in a debate in the Commons today, following Labour’s U-turn on an original decision not to legislate on phones in schools.
In a Government amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, schools will be legally obliged to prevent phone access throughout the school day.
Previously, this was advised in non-statutory guidance but not legally enforced.
However, so far it has not been clear how strict the ban will be in practice.
This was clarified in a Parliamentary debate yesterday, when Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said: ‘I want the Government to make one thing crystal clear, that a ‘not seen, not heard’ policy is not allowed under these rules…
Pupils will no longer be allowed to keep phones in their pockets or bags when Labour’s new ban in schools comes in, ministers have said (pictured: Education Minister Olivia Bailey today)
‘These policies don’t work. Children still use their phones if they’re allowed them in their bags. They still go to the loos and message their friends. They’re still exposed to nasty content on their phones in the school day.’
She added: ‘Some schools could interpret not having access as not allowing children to touch it during the school day, but they can have it in their bag.’
Responding, Education Minister Olivia Bailey said: ‘There is no access to phones at any point during the school day. The guidance says that.
‘We have removed from the guidance, which we have published, any reference to any kind of ‘not seen not heard’ policy in the case studies.
‘We are completely clear, [there will be] no access to phones at any point during the school day.’
The legal ban comes after the Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed the need for it during a Commons debate in March 2025, when he said it was ‘completely unnecessary’.
However, since then the Tories, Lib Dems, teaching unions and parent groups have been lobbying hard for it.
In November, the Government’s own survey of headteachers found only 9 per cent of schools require pupils to put phones into storage on entry, while only 5 per cent had banned them completely.
The vast majority – 75 per cent – said pupils could keep their phones on them, but not use them.
