The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey has joined actor Kate Winslet in calling for a nationwide ban on smartphones in schools. Esther Ghey said her daughter’s life had been blighted by her phone use and warned that voluntary rules left too many children at risk.
The campaign, Phone Free Education, is urging ministers to bring in a statutory ban, arguing that government guidance has created a “postcode lottery” where some schools act and others do not. Research shows that while most schools restrict mobile use in some way, only about one in ten enforce a complete ban or require phones to be locked away during the day.
Brianna’s Story
Brianna, 16, was killed in Warrington in 2023 by two teenagers. Her mother said she had become “sucked away from society and into the online world”, where she was exposed to harmful content and predatory behaviour.
Her school logged more than 100 safeguarding concerns related to her phone, including links to sexual exploitation, eating disorders and self-harm. Teachers also reported constant clashes over her refusal to hand in the device.
Since her death, the school has introduced lockable pouches for pupils’ phones, which staff say has encouraged children to talk and socialise more. Ghey said a legal ban could have spared her daughter from many of the problems she faced. “She should have been in school, focusing on lessons and building friendships,” she said.
Growing Campaign
Winslet, who portrayed a mother struggling with her daughter’s social media use in the Bafta-winning drama I Am Ruth, said classrooms should be free from “the distraction and highly addictive nature of smartphones”. A statutory ban, she argued, would protect children’s mental health and allow them to thrive.
Other supporters include actors Stephen Graham and Will Young, former boxer Frank Bruno, the parenting site Mumsnet and psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who has linked rising youth mental health problems to smartphones. In an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, they wrote: “Most schools are relying on children to resist a temptation even adults struggle with. It’s not fair, and it’s not working.”
Government Response
So far ministers have resisted legislation, insisting that headteachers already have the power to ban phones. Guidance issued last year told schools to keep devices out of lessons, breaks and lunchtimes.
A government spokesperson said: “Schools already have the power to ban phones. Research shows that 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools already restrict use.” They pointed to new measures in the Online Safety Act designed to protect children from harmful content.
Campaigners say this is not enough. They argue only a legal ban will ensure consistency across schools. With pupils returning to classrooms this week, pressure on ministers to act is expected to intensify.
