Children 'to be banned from bringing phones to school'

A new government initiative could see children outright banned from bringing their mobile phones onto school grounds.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan published new guidance aimed at helping teachers enforce the proposed ban in schools across England. Ultimately, headteachers will have the power to decide whether they implement the rules or not.

A number of different options are laid out in the guidance, including a complete ban on phones within school premises - something it states would be "straightforward to enforce". Other rules could include pupils handing in their phones to teachers before their first class or keeping them in lockers so they do not have access to them throughout the school day, the Mirror reports.

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In a message to staff, Ms Keegan said: “We are determined that all schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones throughout the school day – not only during lessons but break and lunchtimes as well.”

The guidance also highlights that teachers should not use their own phones for personal reasons in front of pupils during the day and parents should be advised to contact the school office if they need to speak to their children. Teachers are also advised to give lessons in which they inform pupils of the consequences of using mobile phones in school, including "loss of focus, classroom disruption and an increase in bullying”.

Headteachers are also told to rewrite their school's behaviour policy so it is made clear that they have the right to search pupils for mobile phones. Ms Keehan announce the ban on mobile phone use during last October's Tory conference.

However, the Association of School and College Leaders said it didn't expect