West Cumbrian MP and Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister has announced new government rules to make schools genuinely mobile phone-free, delivering on a campaign he began when he was first elected to Parliament.

The MP for Whitehaven and Workington made the announcement in a statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday, November 10, confirming that schools across England will be expected to ensure pupils cannot access their mobile phones at any point during the school day.

The move builds on Josh’s longstanding campaign to protect children from the harmful effects of excessive smartphone use.

Before becoming a government minister, he proposed tough new measures as part of his Safer Phones Bill, which he introduced to Parliament shortly after his election in 2024.

Under the strengthened guidance, schools will be expected to go beyond policies which simply require phones to be kept out of sight. Instead, they will need to ensure phones are securely stored and inaccessible throughout the school day.

Schools will have flexibility over how they achieve this, including collecting phones at the start of the day, providing secure lockers or using lockable pouches.

Appropriate exemptions will remain for children with medical needs or special educational needs and disabilities.

The revised statutory guidance will come into effect in September 2027, although schools will be encouraged to introduce stronger arrangements sooner.

The announcement follows new Department for Education research showing that just 16 percent of secondary school pupils say their school’s mobile phone rules are followed all of the time.

Research also shows that schools with stronger arrangements find it much easier to enforce the rules.

While only 20 percent of school leaders operating policies that allow phones to remain in bags or blazers say the rules are always followed, that figure rises to 74 percent where phones are collected.

Josh MacAlister MP said: “I’ve been campaigning for stronger protections for children from smartphones since I was first elected as West Cumbria’s MP, so I’m incredibly proud to have stood at the despatch box today to announce that we’re taking this important step.

“Schools should be places where children can concentrate on learning, build friendships and enjoy being young, without the constant distraction of smartphones and social media.

“Teachers shouldn’t have to spend their time policing phones hidden under desks, and children shouldn’t be spending their breaks scrolling through social media when they could be talking, playing and making friends.

“Many schools in West Cumbria and across the country are already doing excellent work to tackle this problem.

“These changes will give every headteacher the backing they need to make their school a genuinely phone-free environment.

“This is about giving children the space to learn, develop and enjoy their school days, while making sure technology works for them rather than the other way around.”