MP group urges DfE to look at pupils mobile phone use
Along with a group of seven Tory MPs, Culture Secretary Matt Hancock has called for pupils to be banned from using their mobile phones at school.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Hancock said: “There are a number of schools across the country that simply don’t allow them”, and suggested that more headteachers should “follow their lead”.
“While it is up to individual schools to decide rather than government, I admire head teachers who do not allow mobiles to be used during the school day."
In a letter to the Telegraph, a group of Tory MPs including Harborough MP Neil O’Brien and Chichester MP Gillian Keegan, urged the Department for Education to give guidance to schools about the evidence on attainment.
The letter cited a 2015 study by the London School of Economics: “Where schools banned smartphones from the premises, or required them to be handed in at the start of the day, pupils’ chances of getting five good GCSEs increased by an average of 2%.”
Read moreLatest News
09/01/2026 - 10:13
The measure, added to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, delivers on the commitment made in the government’s manifesto to bring multi academy trusts into the inspection system.
08/01/2026 - 10:30
The government is launching a new app allowing students to view their GCSE results on their phones for the first time from this summer.
08/01/2026 - 09:45
Education Business LIVE has announced that Professor Samantha Twiselton OBE of Sheffield Hallam University will speak at the event in March 2026, delivering two thought-provoking sessions focused on initial teacher training and SEND provision.
07/01/2026 - 10:10
Solve for Tomorrow is a free, curriculum-linked programme which is mapped to Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, and 6, helping teachers embed careers education without adding to workload.
06/01/2026 - 10:24
London's universal free school meals programme has not led to improvements in pupil attainment during its first year, but has eased financial pressure and reduced stress for families.
