Mother of Brianna Ghey joins Kate Winslet in call for smartphone ban in schools

"As children in England and Wales return to classes this week, Ghey said research showed that only 11% of secondary schools were currently implement a full ban on bringing in smartphones or requiring them to be left in a secure and inaccessible place all day. She said a ban would have solved so many issues for her daughter, who was sucked away from society and into the online world where she was at risk of so many harms."

"The government has resisted banning smartphones in schools, insisting headteachers are able to take their own actions. It issued guidance in 2024 that schools should develop a mobile phone policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, break times and lunchtime. But subsequent research among 2,467 secondary schools in April by the children's commissioner, Rachel de Souza, found that while 90% had some restrictions on phone use,"

Esther Ghey and Kate Winslet call on Keir Starmer to introduce a legal nationwide ban on smartphones in schools, arguing current guidance creates postcode-by-postcode inconsistency. Research showed only 11% of secondary schools implement a full ban or require phones left in a secure, inaccessible place all day. Data from 2,467 secondary schools found 90% had some restrictions, but only 3.5% banned phones from school grounds and 7.9% required hand-ins for the whole day. The Smartphone Free Childhood campaign seeks a statutory ban with funding for lockable pouches. The government prefers headteacher autonomy while issuing guidance to prohibit phone use throughout the school day. Brianna Ghey, 16, was described as addicted to her phone and was murdered in February 2023.

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