Overview

• In an open letter to Keir Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Ghey calls for a law preventing pupil access to smartphones for the whole school day with medical and accessibility exemptions.
• The campaign, aligned with Smartphone Free Childhood, lists backers including Kate Winslet, Stephen Graham, Frank Bruno, Will Young, Mumsnet and author Jonathan Haidt.
• Government representatives highlight existing non‑statutory guidance and say headteachers can set policies, offering no pledge to introduce legislation.
• Children’s Commissioner research found about 90% of secondary schools restrict phones yet only 3.5% ban them from school grounds and 7.9% require full‑day hand‑ins.
• Ghey cites Brianna’s school records logging 120 safeguarding issues and 116 behaviour incidents linked to phone use and points to Birchwood Community High’s pouch system, which staff report improved focus and lower stress.