Not banned outright.
The statutory guidance restricts personal use in front of pupils — and then says in the same breath that there may be occasions where it is appropriate for a teacher to use a phone, giving homework, rewards and sanctions and multi-factor authentication as examples. A staff phone policy that treats any visible phone as a disciplinary matter is going further than DfE does.
updated 28 Jun 2026last checked 17 Sept 2026
What the source actually says
“Staff should not use their own mobile phone for personal reasons in front of pupils throughout the school day. This will empower staff to better challenge pupils to meet the school expectations and effectively enforce the prohibition of mobile phones throughout the school day. There may be occasions where it is appropriate for a teacher to use a mobile phone or similar device, for instance to issue homework, issue rewards and sanctions or use multi-factor authentication. Responsible bodies and school leaders should be clear with staff on their expectations around use of mobile phones during the day.”
— Mobile phones in schools, DfE, statutory guidance, “The role of staff” DfE
Note the two halves. The restriction is on personal use in front of pupils, and the guidance words it as “should not”, not “must not”. Professional use is expressly contemplated in the very next sentence.
On the guidance’s status and start date, in its own words:
“This guidance became statutory on 29 June 2026.”
— Mobile phones in schools, DfE, statutory guidance, opening lines (under the heading “Mobile phones in schools”, immediately before “About this guidance”) DfE
“Schools should begin following it from 1 September 2026”
— Mobile phones in schools, DfE, statutory guidance, opening lines (under the heading “Mobile phones in schools”, immediately before “About this guidance”) DfE
Your school may still require it
Your school can lawfully go further — a no-phones-in-lessons rule for staff, a requirement to leave phones in a bag or a staffroom, a school device instead of your own. That is a reasonable instruction and you can be directed to follow it. What the guidance does not do is make a teacher using a phone to log a sanction or complete a login into a breach of national policy.
See also Can I confiscate a pupil's phone, and for how long? and Does my school have to have a behaviour policy?.