"We banned smartphones in our school and the results were immediate"

For years, schools have been left to pick up the pieces of a digital experiment we didn’t design, didn’t authorise, and never agreed to run.

We watched the consequences play out daily: quiet corridors filled with scrolling, not conversation. Children physically present but mentally elsewhere. The playground, once a space of chaos and joy, subdued into silence as eyes glaze over in sync with TikTok’s algorithm.

We tried everything. Phones in bags. 'Silent use' policies. Digital wellbeing talks. Sanctions. Greater sanctions. We appealed to reason, to boundaries, to moderation. It didn’t work for us. It doesn’t work in most schools. 

Why smartphones are harming our children’s learning and mental health

The truth is this: smartphones have now become part of childhood, not something that children interact with. They live within them and through them. They are lifelines, dopamine machines and social currency, all rolled into one.

One of the great ironies of digital life is that what we often call “connection” is actually a form of surveillance - by companies, by peers, by strangers. Children are growing up with a constant sense of being watched, judged or evaluated through likes, comments, streaks, views and shares. There’s a subtle pressure to curate a self - to perform rather than simply be.

This pressure begins shockingly young. Primary-aged children talk about getting the “right angle” for selfies. They learn quickly which posts get attention and which don’t. They internalise rules about appearance, popularity and behaviour long before they fully understand what those metrics mean.

Teenagers describe the fear of missing out not just on events, but on being seen to be having fun, to be included, to be interesting. If it’s not posted, did it really happen? If no one liked it, was it even worth doing?

How our school smartphone ban transformed pupil behaviour and wellbeing

Phones are designed to distract, undermining the purpose of school which is to educate, safeguard, and help young people become confident, connected humans.

So, we stopped asking for permission. We took the action that our pupils needed us to take.

At our school, students now place their phones in Yondr pouches each morning. The phone stays with them, but is locked, sealed and out of reach during the school day. What followed was as close to transformational as I have seen in 15 years of Headship.

• Behaviour incidents dropped by 40% in the first term. 

• Online safeguarding reports - bullying, sexting, exposure to harmful content - fell by 80%. Students began re-engaging with one another. 

• Our social areas became flooded with games, cards, chess and conversations. We heard engagement, real genuine connection and laughter.

This was not a nostalgic attempt to rewind time. It was a deliberate act of protection, based on evidence and care. It is working. And not just for us. Schools who introduce an effective smartphone ban are all reporting the same thing. The reconnection with community. The engagement. A rewilding of children in the real word.

Teachers breathed again. “It’s the first time in years I haven’t feared being watched,” one told me. Another said, “I can finally teach again - not just police tech and sanction pupils over phones.” For too long, teachers have carried the burden of keeping learning alive in classrooms overshadowed by distraction, digital drama, and the constant fear of being filmed and shared online.

Parents, too, quickly saw the impact. This was never punitive. We exchanged smartphones for something far more valuable: calmer children, safer environments, and a clear boundary in a world increasingly without them.

New research shows the benefits of banning smartphones in schools

Still, for some, anecdote isn’t enough. So let’s talk data.

A 10-month study conducted by Canterbury Christ Church University, involving 10 in-depth focus groups with teachers and senior leaders at our school, is near completion. While the findings are still being finalised, the early indications are striking.

The research, led by two CCCU researchers, explored the impact of our comprehensive smartphone ban on staff wellbeing, classroom practice and the wider school environment. Emerging evidence suggests a clear reduction in teacher-reported stress and anxiety. Participants consistently noted that their work environment feels calmer and more positive, largely due to fewer conflicts with pupils and parents over phone-related incidents.

Most teachers reported being able to teach more effectively, with fewer distractions, reduced behavioural tension and a greater sense of presence in the classroom. Perhaps most significantly, the research suggests that relationships between staff and students have improved, with teachers attributing this to the removal of a major barrier to connection: the smartphone.

A smartphone ban in school benefits staff as well as students

These findings are mirrored in our internal staff wellbeing data. This year, 40% of our staff reported feeling “extremely content” in their roles - double the national average of 20%. In an era where teacher retention is a growing crisis, our school has seen a reduction in staff turnover from 17% to under 10%.

Taken together, both the independent research and our own internal data point to a clear conclusion: the comprehensive removal of smartphones from the school day is not just a safeguarding measure - it’s a wellbeing intervention. It has changed not just how we teach, but how we feel about teaching.

Why should the UK Government ban smartphones in schools?

The momentum is there. Schools are acting. Families are adjusting. Young people are - perhaps quietly - relieved. So where is Government?

In 2024, the Department for Education said it supported phone-free schools. But support is not legislation. A suggestion is not a mandate. And quietly applauding while schools shoulder the responsibility alone is not leadership.

Internationally, the tide is turning. France has already implemented a national ban. Italy and the Netherlands are following suit. The UN and UNESCO are calling for tighter regulation. Here in the UK, we continue to hover awkwardly on the sidelines, issuing guidance, dodging headlines and hoping the problem will solve itself.

It won’t. The adolescent mental health crisis is not on the horizon - it is here. And schools are one of the few institutions left with the ability and moral responsibility to do something about it. But we cannot do it alone.

As an Academy, we are not anti-technology. We are pro-childhood. We teach digital literacy. We prepare students for the real world. But no child needs Snapchat in their pocket during a Double History lesson.

This is not about banning technology from education. It’s about removing one specific device from one specific window of time: the school day. So that learning, connection and human development can happen without constant interruption.

The case is made. The evidence is here. The results speak for themselves. Now it’s time for Government to catch up.

There is no good reason why any child needs a smartphone in school. As a society we need to create a norm where children are safe, happy and flourishing. And it needs to happen now. Not next year. Not after another commission. Not when political conditions are more favourable. Now.

Because if schools are no longer the last safe place where children can be fully present - then where, exactly, is?

About the author

Damian McBeath is a Contributor for Mumsnet and the Principal of The John Wallis Church of England Academy, a now smartphone-free school. He advocates for a nationwide ban of smartphones in schools across the UK.