The Department for Education (DfE) has updated guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools in order to protect the wellbeing of young people and help keep them safer online.

The new guidance, published this month, follows a raft of concerns about the impact of digital device use on children's health, safety and learning.

"All schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default" – Department for Education

Writing on Ofsted's blog, Lee Owston, National Director, Education, noted that many schools have recognised mobile phones to be "a drain on pupils' attention and often highly disruptive to their learning."

With a consultation set to explore measures to improve children’s experiences of social media and technology, the government has committed to producing "evidence-based screen time guidance for parents of children aged 5 to 16" to support families amid concerns that "young people's lives are dominated by too much time in front of devices". Restrictions on addictive features, a ban on social media access for kids and more effective age checks are among measures set to be considered.

Norbury High considers the safety and wellbeing of children, along with access to learning, to be of fundamental importance.

Read about Norbury High's approach to mobile phone use in school in our Behaviour Policy.

(Image by bruce mars reproduced with kind permission.)