School should be a place of focus, connection, and protection
THAT’S WHY EDUCATION MUST Be PHONE FREE
ABOUT
I’m Esther Ghey and I’ve started this campaign for #PhoneFreeEducation to protect our children in schools.
In February 2023, my daughter Brianna was murdered by two other children. They had been consuming extreme content online, including dark web torture videos. Brianna, too, had been exposed to harmful material online.
In the months before her death, she was battling anorexia, self-harm, and isolation, all exacerbated by harmful online content. Her education suffered: she skipped lessons to go on TikTok, refused to hand over her phone at school, and struggled to engage.
Since then I’ve met so many other parents concerned about their children, teachers struggling to enforce phone bans in schools and students being punished for when they inevitably give in to temptation.
I believe school should be a place of focus, connection and protection for our children. I want to use my story to campaign for change for every child. I hope you will join me.
SCHOOL PHONE CRISIS
79% of schools operate the lowest form of ban
only 3.5% of schools ban phones being brought to school outright
only 7.9% of schools ask students to leave their phones in a secure place
1 in 5 teenagers are disturbed in lessons by phones – every single day
13% of children aged 11-15 say their school never confiscates phones – even if pupils break the rules
STATS: SCHOOL PHONE POLICIES IN ENGLAND, CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER (APRIL 2025) AND PARENTKIND POLLING (MARCH 2025)
OPEN LETTER
Phones are disrupting learning, harming mental health, and putting children at risk in our schools.
Current government guidance isn’t enough – we need a statutory ban with proper storage solutions so every child is protected.
Join us in calling on the Prime Minister and Education Secretary to deliver a #PhoneFreeEducation
why make education phone free?
kate winslet
Award-winning actress
“Every child deserves to be in classrooms that are free from the distraction and highly addictive nature of smartphones. A statutory ban would be a vital step towards protecting the mental health of young people , and preserving every child’s right to realising their fullest potential during these precious and integral years."
closed screens open minds
anna grant, arlene carruthers, and sophie winkelman
“Schools should be a place of learning and a safe haven from the multiple harms that come from owning a smartphone. We support children having a Phone Free Education.”
SIMON BAILEY CBE, QPM, DL, MST (CANTAB)
CHAIR OF THE INTERNATIONAL POLICING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION INSTITUTE
“The Keeping Children Safe in Education policy needs to go further and provide clear and enforceable guidance to ban the use of mobile phones in schools. Leaving policy entirely to the discretions of schools is creating inconsistency and is exposing children to risks which are preventable.”
Dr emily sehmeR MBCHB, BSC HONS, MRCPSYCH, PG CERT
CONSULTANT CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST
“I support this campaign because I constantly see the harms inflicted on children, as a direct result of smartphone and social media use.”
