One of England's biggest school academy trusts to ban phone use

One of England's largest schoolhouse academy trusts is acceptable to prohibition phones during the schoolhouse day.

Ormiston Academies Trust confirmed to the BBC it was phasing retired entree to smartphones for astir 35,000 pupils astatine its 42 authorities schools crossed the country.

Tom Rees, Ormiston's main executive, told the Guardian that smartphones had disrupted students' learning and wellbeing, adding that determination was a "clear correlation" betwixt telephone usage and concerns astir intelligence health.

Earlier this year, the Department for Education nether the erstwhile Conservative authorities updated its advice connected mobile phones to springiness schoolhouse leaders successful England the powerfulness to prohibition their usage during the schoolhouse day.

The caller measures volition beryllium enactment successful spot crossed each of Ormiston's schools - which see six primaries and 32 secondaries, spanning arsenic acold northbound arsenic Cheshire and arsenic acold southbound arsenic the Isle of Wight.

Eight of its secondary schools person already adopted the argumentation for the autumn word aft consultation with parents, portion entree to phones is besides already prohibited astatine the trust's primary, peculiar needs and alternate proviso schools.

A spokesperson for the spot told the BBC the prohibition was pursuing the "direction of travel" successful England and it was astir "taking the kids and parents with you".

In February, the Department for Education issued guidance to ace down connected mobile phones to "minimise disruption and amended behaviour successful classrooms".

One successful 5 pupils had experienced bullying online, portion 1 successful 3 said phones are utilized successful the bulk of lessons without permission, she added.

A committee of MPs successful May said the authorities should see proposals to prohibition smartphones for under-16s, outlining "serious dangers" posed to children online.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said helium is not successful favour of "simply banning" phones for under-16s but determination is simply a "serious question" to beryllium asked astir what children tin access.

Meanwhile, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has told the BBC helium is looking precise intimately astatine the interaction of an upcoming Australian prohibition connected societal media for each under-16s.

The Australian authorities has promised to present authorities this twelvemonth to enforce a minimum property for children to entree societal media.