DfE survey shows more secondary schools collecting phones
A fifth of secondary leaders said pupils hand in phones or lock them away, up from 9% in 2025. The survey was taken just before new guidance applied in England.
More secondary schools in England are collecting pupils' phones during the day, according to a Department for Education survey published on 29 October 2026.
The School and College Voice survey ran from 30 June to 13 July. In it, 21% of secondary leaders said pupils hand in phones or leave them somewhere they cannot reach. That compares with 9% in May 2025. Most secondary leaders (70%) still let pupils bring phones if they stay out of sight and unused, down from 75%.
Statutory guidance says schools should be phone-free by default. Schools should begin following it from 1 September 2026.
Among secondary leaders with a phone policy, 38% said they had updated it and 46% said they already met the rules. Another 11% planned changes and 4% did not. Among primary leaders with a policy, 16% did not plan to change.
The survey also shows a gap between leaders and classroom teachers. Rules were followed most or all of the time according to 92% of secondary leaders and 78% of secondary teachers. Most secondary teachers (65%) said they spend under 15 minutes a day enforcing the rules. Another 20% said they spend 15 minutes or more.
For parents, the guidance expects that pupils will not have access to phones throughout the school day. That includes lessons, breaks and lunchtime. Headteachers decide how to achieve this, so the method will differ between schools.
The survey counts what leaders and teachers said, from 512 secondary leaders and 508 secondary teachers with a policy. It is not a check of schools. It was taken before the guidance applied, so it does not show what schools have done since September.
Sources
- Department for Education (GOV.UK) School and college voice: June 2026
- Department for Education (GOV.UK) Mobile phones in schools