The Tories will push for a ban on smartphones in schools to be included in the government's education bill.
The Conservatives are proposing an amendment to the Children's Welfare and Schools bill to end the use of mobile phones and other devices by students during school days.
It is understood that the Labor government has no intention of banning legislation in schools, and the Department for Education said schools can already decide how to ban the use of phones.
Under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the then Conservative government issued non-statutory guidance to schools in England, intended to stop the use of mobile phones during break and lunch periods in schools, as well as in lessons.
The Tories are now introducing an amendment to a labor bill in a bid to stop pupils using mobile phones and devices during the school day.
It would be mandatory that all schools in England have set a policy that applies from the start of the first lesson of the day to the end of the last.
Schools would decide how to implement the ban and there would be flexibility for sixth forms and residential or boarding schools.
It comes as several leading educational figures, including the woman named the nation's strictest head teacher, have called on the British government to implement a smartphone ban for students during school hours.
In their letter today, MPS urge the PM to fund the installation of lockers in all schools and update guidance for Ofsted
The group warns that the prevalence of smartphones among teenage children has serious implications for learning' (Stock Image)
Ms Birbalsingh is part of a group of 30 educationalists calling on the UK government to ban smartphones in UK schools
Katharine Birbalsingh, head teacher at Michaela Community School in Wembley, north London, previously appeared on ITV's Toughest Headteacher and made national headlines earlier this year after her ban from prayer rituals during school hours.
Now, along with 30 other prominent educationalists such as Lord Nash, former Conservative schools minister, have written an open letter calling for stricter smartphone bans in British schools.
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said: 'We have a growing understanding of how damaging phones and social media are to our children's education.
'That is why we believe that smartphones should be banned in schools during the school day.
“This is the right thing for parents, teachers and children, and I hope Labor will support it.”
Cumberland Community School in Newham, East London, made headlines in 2023 when they persuaded half of their students to delete social media apps from their phones during exam season.
Tiktok, Snapchat and Instagram were ditched for two months to be replaced with mandatory revision sessions – with some students agreeing to give up their smartphones completely to avoid temptation or distraction.
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott believes smartphones should be banned during the school day
Amin Opayemi and Dania Olajide were among students at Cumberland Community School in Newham, East London who ditched social media while sitting for their GCSEs
The inner city school is now one of the most consistently improved in the UK (gov.uk)
Since repeating the pioneering effort last year, the school's progress score has risen by a figure and a quarter, leaving it one of the most consistently improved in the UK.
And the inner city Academy now has 62 per cent of GCSE students achieving at least a grade 5 in both English and maths – sixteen points above the average across England.
A Department for Education spokesperson said the bill would be a 'game-changing moment' for children and that there is already clear guidance for schools on mobile phones.
The spokesperson said: 'The wellbeing of children and schools will be a game-changing moment for the safety and success of our children, from new safeguards around homeschooling to breakfast clubs in every primary school to teach children how to learn.
'There is already clear government guidance helping leaders decide how best to ban phones in a way that will work in their own schools. If students don't follow those rules, schools have the power to confiscate devices. '
The Conservatives used a bid to block children's welfare and schools earlier this month to force a vote on calls for a new inquiry into grooming gangs.
This week, Kemi Badenoch raised concerns about the bill's impact on academy freedoms, including in recruiting and paying teachers.
The new bill would ensure that all teachers will be part of the same core pay and conditions framework, whether they work in a local authority-run school or an academy.
The bill also includes measures to allow councils to open new schools that are not academies, and it will end the forced academisation of schools run by local authorities identified by OFSTED as a concern.
