One in five primary schools (21 per cent) completely ban pupils from bringing phones to school, compared with just 3.5 per cent of secondary schools.
However, the survey of nearly 19,000 schools and colleges in England has found that online safety remains the second most cited concern for school leaders.
The children's commissioner used her statutory powers for the first time to carry out the largest-ever survey of schools and colleges, representing nearly 90 per cent of all schools in England.
The survey shows that 99.8 per cent of primary schools and 90 per cent of secondary schools had a mobile phone policy limiting students’ use of mobile phones during school hours, in line with the Department for Education’s non-statutory guidance.
This includes the three ‘most restrictive’ policies: not allowing mobile phones onto school grounds, requiring children to hand in phones or leave them in a secure place they cannot access during the school day, or requiring them to be kept out of sight.
The children's commissioner's office said the survey is the most comprehensive evidence to date on mobile phone policies in schools and exemptions for children with additional needs, revealing the detail of policies being used in schools across England.
A poll also found that 25 per cent of children aged eight to 15 also spend two to three hours a day using an internet-enabled device such as a computer, smartphone, tablet or gaming console, while 23 per cent spend more than four hours a day on such a device.
In response, the children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza is calling for stronger action to protect children from harmful content online outside the classroom.
‘This is a generation that has grown up online, not only seeing and using smartphones and 24-hour communication, but seeing all the adults in their lives relying on them,’ she said.
‘If we are serious about helping children reap the many benefits of the internet, we need to get serious about regulating what they can see, where they see it and curbing the damage currently being wreaked on their health, attention span and safety by tech companies enjoying unlimited freedoms while refusing to take responsibility for the people on their platforms.
‘Schools are just one part of the solution. Parents and carers need support to become more confident managing their children’s online activities and putting in age-appropriate boundaries – and above all, to talk and keep talking at home about what they see and how to respond.’
Previous research by the children’s commissioner found that 45 per cent of children aged between eight and 17 had seen or experienced harmful content online, including anonymous trolling, sexualised, violent or gory content and pornography. In The Big Ambition survey in 2024, children said they wanted apps to be less addictive and less harmful to their mental health.
Children have told the children’s commissioner that they want stronger action on online safety because they are seeing harmful and inappropriate content without being able to get it removed.
They have said current measures being implemented by government have little to no impact on their day-to-day experiences of being online.
Dame Rachel said, ‘Action to take children’s safety online is long overdue – and the pace of regulation has been far outstripped by the speed at which technology has developed. The Online Safety Act remains the strongest mechanism we have to protect children from online harms, but its implementation must be ambitious and far-reaching.
'It must deliver on its full potential – holding technology companies to account and making the digital world a safer place for children by design.’
