Backing has been given to the idea of banning mobile phones in Devon’s schools from next academic year.

While councils can’t actually prevent mobile phones in schools, Devon County Council members voted in favour of endorsing the “principle of a countywide ban on student smartphone use during the school day”, which would include break and lunchtimes.

The idea will be to create a policy that Devon’s maintained schools can adopt.

Schools cannot be mandated to use the policy, but the council hopes they would get behind it, and that academies and independent schools would then follow suit.

The plan is for a consultation to be completed before the start of the spring term, with results analysed by February 2026, and implementation of the policy ready in time for the start of the next acad

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