Mobile phones in Welsh schools: what would tougher rules achieve?

Nation.Cymru staff

The canteen at Mary Immaculate High School in Cardiff has become noisier since pupils were required to lock their mobile phones away for the day.

For headteacher Hugh Powell, that is a welcome development.

“We’ve noticed our canteen is much noisier than it used to be, of course, but that’s fine,” he told BBC Wales.

Pupils have described better concentration and more conversation since the school introduced secure phone pouches. Powell said the change had been “hugely positive”, with improved behaviour and no incidents related to mobile phones.

Such experiences help explain the pressure for tougher restrictions across Wales. But as the Welsh Government consults on new statutory guidance, a distinction matters: reducing phone use in school is one outcome; improving attainment and mental health is another.

The evidence is considerably clearer on the first.

What would change?

The Senedd this week rejected a Reform UK proposal for a legally binding nationwide ban on mobile phones in classrooms, voting against it by 50 to 38.

Members instead backed a Plaid Cymru amendment supporting clear national expectations while allowing schools to adapt their policies to local circumstances.

The Welsh Government’s consultation, which closes on December 2, proposes statutory guidance requiring schools to have regard to a national expectation that phone use is restricted during the school day.

That would strengthen the current system, under which headteachers and governing bodies set their own rules without national phone-specific guidance.

It would not impose the same arrangement everywhere. Schools could prohibit phones on their premises, collect them on arrival, use lockable pouches or lockers, require devices to remain unused and unheard, or permit use at specified times and places.

Schools departing from the guidance would have to justify their approach.

Policies would also need to accommodate medical needs, disabilities, additional learning needs and circumstances such as young-carer responsibilities. The proposals cover school sixth forms, but not further education colleges.

Support — with qualifications

In a Welsh Government-commissioned workforce survey, 82% of respondents favoured statutory restrictions, anticipating benefits for behaviour, distraction, bullying and wellbeing.

However, it was an open, self-selecting survey, so the figure cannot be treated as representative of the entire education workforce.

Children’s views are more mixed. In a 2024 survey by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, 94% of secondary-aged respondents took a smartphone to school and 30% reported using one in class for non-learning purposes.

Most were satisfied with their school’s rules, while 62% thought smartphones should be allowed in classrooms, citing learning, family contact and safety.

At Mary Immaculate, pupil Orelua, 14, told the BBC that adapting had initially been difficult because he previously used his phone “every break time”.

“It’s improved my focus on tasks,” he said, making revision and studying easier.

These accounts illustrate what individual schools can experience. Establishing whether similar policies consistently improve outcomes across different schools requires broader research.

What does the evidence show?

An analysis by Dr Nyle Bevan-Clark of Senedd Research sets out a mixed picture.

Some studies have identified benefits. Research across four English cities associated bans with improved examination performance, particularly among previously lower-achieving pupils. A Norwegian study found reductions in bullying and improvements in some educational and mental-health outcomes, especially for girls.

A 2024 meta-analysis found a modest positive overall effect, stronger for social wellbeing than academic performance.

Other findings are more cautious.

The 2025 SMART Schools study compared pupils attending schools with restrictive and permissive phone policies. Restrictions substantially reduced phone and social media use during school hours, but researchers found no evidence of better mental wellbeing or lower overall use.

Analysis of international PISA data similarly found less distraction where bans operated, but no association with higher academic performance after accounting for other factors.

Comparisons are complicated by differences in what researchers mean by a “ban”, how policies are enforced and which outcomes they measure.

Evidence linking problematic screen time with poor sleep or wellbeing provides useful context. It does not, by itself, establish that restricting phones at school will resolve those problems.

The practical challenge

Enforcement also takes time and money. An economic analysis of the SMART Schools research estimated that an average-sized secondary school spent more than 100 staff hours a week implementing and enforcing its phone policy.

Restrictive schools spent slightly less staff time managing phones than permissive schools, although the small sample creates uncertainty about the difference.

School leaders’ union NAHT has warned that stronger restrictions bring costs and additional workload, and has called for implementation funding.

Education Minister Anna Brychan told the Senedd that the final guidance would be evaluated. If it failed to deliver the expected outcomes, further action, including legislation, would be considered.