How to review your mobile phone policy

Find out how to review your school's mobile phone policy with confidence, including questions to ask to help make sure it's robust. Use our model policy to see what good looks like, or use our checklist and examples from other schools to make sure your school's policy is up to scratch.

Updated
on 27 February 2025
See updates
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 38442
Contents
  1. Key facts
  2. Key points to look out for
  3. 3 key questions to challenge this policy
  4. Download our model policy
  5. Examples from schools

Key points to look out for

Rules for different groups within your school

A good policy will cover what's expected from staff and pupils, and ideally, parents/carers and visitors too. It will also explain the rationale behind those rules, including reference to safeguarding requirements, data protection and behaviour.

The sanctions for both staff and pupils breaking these rules should also be clearly explained.

Searching, examining and erasing phone content

If your policy sets out circumstances where staff will examine the content of pupils' phones, the procedure must be compliant with the Department for Education (DfE)'s latest guidance on searching, screening and confiscation at school.

It should also specify which members of staff have been authorised by the headteacher to carry out searches.

It's best for your school's policy to say the school accepts no responsibility for mobile phones that are lost, damaged or stolen on school premises or transport,