Mobile phones in schools: the new statutory guidance explained

What is the update?

All schools in England should be mobile phone-free by default throughout the school day, including lessons, breaks and lunchtime. That covers smart devices with similar functionality too, so smartwatches and anything that can send messages or record audio and video falls under the same policy.

Sixth formers are a partial exception. Schools should consider allowing limited access at certain times and locations, such as a sixth-form common room, but not in front of younger pupils.

Individual pupils may also need adjustments. Medical needs, disability duties under the Equality Act 2010, and circumstances like young carers are all called out in the guidance, and each case should be assessed on its own merits.

Someone’s got to collect phones from every pupil each morning, keep them somewhere safe, and get the right one back to the right person at the end of the day. Then do it all again tomorrow. Across a full school that’s a lot of mucking about, and the moment one goes missing you’ve got an angry parent, a stressed member of staff, and a problem that could have been avoided.

For the full DfE update visit: Mobile phones in schools – GOV.UK

The Compucharge 36 Bay Phone Locker keeps it simple. Pupils place their phone in one of 36 open bays, the teacher locks the cabinet, and that’s it until home time. No individual keys, no mix-ups, no tray of phones sitting in an unlocked cupboard. It’s a steel cabinet that mounts to a wall or sits on a desk, 790mm high by 380mm wide, with two keys for the cabinet lock. One unit covers a form group and needs no power.

If a locker isn’t the right fit, we can source other storage options too. Get in touch and we’ll find something that works for your school.

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