Ministers confirm plan to ban use of mobile phones in schools in England

Teaching unions say guidance includes practices already adopted and most schools already have policies in place

Ministers have confirmed plans to ban the use of mobile phones in English schools, releasing guidance for headteachers which some unions said included practices that had already been widely adopted.

However, one headteacher welcomed the Department for Education (DfE) plan, saying it would help give schools the confidence to make a change which would benefit pupils but could meet resistance from parents.