Students’ mobile phones will be locked away in pouches during lessons under a pilot scheme in Scotland’s capital aimed at reducing distractions for teachers and learners.
City of Edinburgh Council says Portobello and Queensferry high schools will be the first secondaries in Scotland to try this type of “zero-phone policy”. Portobello is “phone free” from today and Queensferry from next Wednesday, with other schools in the city expected to follow suit.
All students in all year groups at the two schools will be required to store their phones in magnetically locked pouches at the start of each school day. They will be able to unlock them at a handful of points around their school, but not in classrooms.
Parents support schools going phone-free
The policy has been introduced after what the council describes as “extensive engagement with pupils and parents and carers over a six-month period”. In a survey at Portobello High School, 86 per cent of parents and carers supported the introduction of the “phone-free policy” using Yondr pouches.
The council hopes that that the policy will “protect the learning environment, encouraging young people to stay in class and focused on learning without the distraction of checking or responding to a notification on a phone”.
It also suggests that the policy is important for equity purposes, ensuring that the learning environment is the same for all students.
The council points to research that, it says, shows how “a phone-free school environment positively impacts young people’s mental health and wellbeing, both in school and at home, encouraging a healthier approach to managing time online and increasing face-to-face interaction”.
In April, Perth and Kinross Council claimed to be the first Scottish local authority to approve a blanket ban on mobile phones in classrooms, which will come into force in August. However, that policy does leave open the possibility of teachers allowing exceptions where phones can be used for educational purposes, making it appear a less complete ban than the Edinburgh pilot.
In January, the Scottish Conservatives called for a national ban on mobile phones in schools.
However, this came after Scottish government guidance on the use of mobiles in school, published in August 2024, concluded that a national ban is not “appropriate or feasible”, but also that schools and councils could “introduce restrictions and limitations” if they wished.
The national guidance underlines that “mobile phones can both enhance and detract from learning, depending on their use”.
Phones ‘competing’ with teachers
Today Joan Griffiths, education, children and families convener at City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I’m pleased to see Edinburgh schools leading the way in introducing a mobile phone-free school environment. Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners’ attention, and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive thing for our young people.
“The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession.”
Ms Griffiths added that she hoped the policy would “increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and help improve wellbeing”.
Lizzie Hacking, director of external affairs at Yondr, said its work with City of Edinburgh Council would “help create phone-free schools, where pupils can truly engage in their education without the distractions of mobile devices”, adding that “phone-free spaces are essential for fostering focused learning and meaningful personal interactions - especially for young learners”.
In April, the UK government blocked an attempt by the Conservatives to introduce a ban on pupils having mobile phones in schools in England.
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