Responding to new guidance from the government on banning mobile phone use in schools, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Schools have been dealing with mobile phone use for years. Almost all already have policies in place and the tools they need to manage this based upon what works best for their pupils and staff.

“For some schools that may mean restricting use, but blanket bans can cause more problems than they solve, leading to pupils becoming more secretive about their phone use and meaning problems are hidden from staff. Such a policy may spark opposition from parents too, as there are practical reasons why pupils may need a mobile phone such as while travelling to and from school.

“This guidance is not something school leaders had been clamouring for, and is simply a distraction when the government ought to be putting all its energy into dealing with more pressing problems facing schools - be it the staff recruitment and retention crisis, funding, RAAC or the breakdown in trust in Ofsted.”