New mobile phone rules in force, but visits are treated differently

By Jake Wiid · 29 Jun 2026

New mobile phone rules in force but visits are treated differently

The Department for Education's mobile phone guidance became statutory today as Section 36 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 came into force.

EVOLVE Advice is reminding visit leaders that the rules work differently for educational visits.

From today (29 June 2026) headteachers in England are legally required to have regard to the DfE's mobile phone guidance, which requires schools to operate as phone-free environments throughout the school day, covering lessons, breaks and lunchtime. Smart watches and similar devices are included. Ofsted will assess compliance as part of every inspection.

However, EVOLVE Advice notes that the statutory guidance treats visits outside the school day differently. Rather than applying the same default ban, the DfE requires schools to determine their own approach for day trips and residential visits, asking them to consider prohibiting or restricting phone use in a way that does not disrupt the educational experience of the visit.

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EVOLVE Advice is advising visit leaders to make a documented decision on phone use as part of the risk assessment for every trip, and to consider both the risks and the potential educational benefits, including navigation tools, museum apps and communication during unaccompanied activities.

For residential visits, EVOLVE Advice highlights safeguarding as the overriding consideration. The DfE guidance requires schools to ensure pupils can access their phones to raise concerns with staff and to manage medical needs, provisions that any restrictive policy must preserve.

• View Statutory guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools/mobile-phones-in-schools
• View Section 36 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026
• Read more about the new guidance at https://www.evolveadvice.co.uk/latest-news/2026/mobile-phones-educational-visits