| Nearly all primary schools (99.8%) and 90% of secondary schools in England already restrict mobile phone use according to the children’s commissioner. However, updated government guidance, which is set to become statutory, states that schools should be “mobile phone-free environments by default”.
Now, education experts say growing evidence suggests removing phones from the school day could have a significant impact on pupils’ concentration, wellbeing and social confidence, particularly among girls navigating the pressures of an always-on digital culture.
Parliamentary research shows 98% of UK adolescents now own a smartphone, with 93% being active social media users. The same briefing highlights research linking excessive smartphone use among children to sleep disruption, reduced attention spans and increased anxiety.
Meanwhile, the Education Committee has concluded that phone bans in schools ‘can have a positive impact on the mental health and educational outcomes of children’.
Against this backdrop, the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) says phone-free school environments are helping many pupils reconnect with concentration, conversation and confidence during the school day.
According to the GDST, the issue extends beyond classroom distraction and reflects wider concerns around constant digital stimulation, social comparison and the pressure many girls feel to remain continuously connected online.
“Schools are increasingly seeing that when phones are removed from the social environment, pupils become more present, both academically and socially,” said Dr Philip Purvis, Director of Education at the GDST.
“Many girls describe feeling under pressure to remain constantly available and comparing themselves online. Creating phone-free spaces during the school day gives pupils greater opportunity to focus, participate more confidently and engage more meaningfully with one another.
“There is a growing body of research showing the potential harms of mobile phones and social media use, along with recent large-scale studies highlighting the specific impact on teenage girls, from addiction to poor mental health and wellbeing.”
Teachers working in phone-free environments report that pupils are often more willing to contribute to lessons, engage in face-to-face conversations at breaktimes and experience fewer friendship issues escalating during the school day through messaging apps and social media.
Education leaders also say the changes are helping create calmer learning environments, where sustained attention and uninterrupted thinking are easier to maintain.
Dr Purvis continued: “Adolescence represents a critical stage in the development of concentration, emotional resilience and social confidence. Constant digital interruption can make reflective thinking and sustained focus harder to maintain.
“Phone-free environments during the school day may help create the conditions for deeper concentration, healthier social interaction and improved emotional wellbeing. This conversation should not be framed as technology versus education, but around how schools can create environments that best support young people’s development.”
The GDST emphasised that its approach is not about rejecting technology or demonising social media but encouraging healthier boundaries and more intentional digital habits among young people.
Dr Purvis said parents and schools should approach phone-free policies as an opportunity to build healthier digital habits collaboratively, rather than through punishment or fear.
“Teenagers are far more likely to respond positively when boundaries are explained clearly and introduced consistently,” he said. “Parents can help by modelling healthy phone habits themselves, creating screen-free moments at home and focusing conversations around wellbeing, sleep, concentration and confidence rather than control.”
He also encouraged families to avoid framing phone restrictions as a loss of freedom.
“For many young people, phones are closely tied to identity, friendships and social belonging,” Dr Purvis added. “Acknowledging that emotional connection while helping pupils build confidence away from constant notifications can make the transition feel far more supportive and sustainable.”
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