Suffolk-founded smartphone campaign warns tougher school phone rules could cost thousands
The Campaign group has welcomed the Government's plans for stricter phone-free school days, but warns they could place additional financial pressure on schools
A campaign which began in Woodbridge has warned that tougher restrictions on mobile phones in schools could leave headteachers facing bills of thousands of pounds, without addressing the wider issue of children owning smartphones at increasingly young ages.
Smartphone Free Childhood, founded in Woodbridge, Suffolk, in 2024, has welcomed the Government's announcement that schools in England should go further to keep phones out of pupils' hands during the school day.
But Amy Ruffell, the campaign's regional leader, believes schools could be left facing significant costs if they turn to lockable pouches and other storage systems to enforce the rules.
Speaking to us, she said: "My initial reaction was definitely happiness. The government are taking this really seriously."
However, she added: "My reservation comes from really feeling for schools because they are constantly asked to do more and more without further funding."
Ms Ruffell estimates a lockable pouch system could cost at least £22,000 for a typical secondary school, with additional costs for replacing damaged equipment.
The figure is the campaigner's estimate, rather than a confirmed cost for schools in Suffolk. The Government has not made purchasing lockable pouches compulsory.
'It doesn't change the culture'
Earlier this week, the Department for Education announced plans to strengthen its guidance on mobile phones in schools.
Ministers want schools to move beyond rules requiring phones to remain out of sight in pupils' bags, encouraging approaches that make devices inaccessible throughout the school day.
The revised guidance is expected to take effect in September 2027.
But Ms Ruffell believes restricting smartphones during school hours, while beneficial, does not necessarily change children's relationship with the devices outside the classroom.
"Unfortunately, the pouch systems and the lock away systems don't change their culture," she told us.
"They help children during the day, which is fantastic, frees up their attention, gives them six plus, you know, smartphone free hours of their day, which is really good.
"It doesn't change the culture of us buying children smartphones."
She also argues that policies should distinguish between internet-enabled smartphones and basic mobile phones, which some parents give their children for safety and communication.
Ms Ruffell believes restricting both types of device in the same way could create unnecessary challenges for schools and families.
She instead advocates school policies that prevent pupils from bringing smartphones onto the premises, alongside efforts to encourage parents to delay buying the devices.
"The free option to schools is to implement a smartphone free site," she said.
From Woodbridge to a national movement
Smartphone Free Childhood was started by Woodbridge mother Daisy Greenwell and her friend Clare Fernyhough in February 2024.
What began as a WhatsApp group for parents concerned about children getting smartphones quickly attracted thousands of members.
The movement has since expanded across the UK, campaigning to help families delay smartphone ownership and encourage healthier relationships with technology.
Ms Ruffell said parents could help change expectations by making decisions together, rather than feeling pressured to give their children smartphones because their friends already have them.
The campaign encourages families to delay smartphone ownership until at least the age of 14.
"We can do that as parents," she told us.
"And that is what, you know, Smartphone Free Childhood is about. It's empowering parents and families and carers to be able to do that together as a collective, because it does feel really, really difficult to do it on your own."
What are Suffolk schools already doing?
Some schools in Suffolk have already introduced stricter phone policies.
Ipswich Academy began introducing lockable phone pouches in September 2026, with pupils required to keep their devices secured throughout the school day.
In a newsletter to parents, the school said the changes were intended to create an environment where pupils could focus on learning.
It also confirmed alternative arrangements for children who need access to their phones because of medical conditions.
The cost of Ipswich Academy's system has not been established.
Ms Ruffell suggested schools could avoid the expense of such systems by introducing restrictions on bringing smartphones to school gradually, beginning with Year 7 pupils and extending them to older year groups over subsequent academic years.
She believes this could help families and pupils adapt while gradually changing expectations around smartphone ownership.
What does the Government say?
The Department for Education says the strengthened guidance is intended to reduce distractions and give children more opportunities to learn and socialise during the school day.
Existing statutory guidance, which schools were expected to follow from September 2026, already calls for mobile phone-free environments by default.
However, the Government says clearer expectations are needed because many pupils report that existing rules are not consistently followed.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: "Children should not be using smartphones at any point during the school day, full stop."
She added: "We're backing heads and teachers with a clear message for parents and pupils: school is for learning and friendship, not scrolling."
School leaders' unions have also raised concerns about funding.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the School Leaders Union, NAHT, said schools would need additional financial support if they were expected to introduce more robust measures.
The Government's current guidance allows schools to decide how to enforce phone restrictions and requires them to consider reasonable adjustments for pupils with disabilities, medical needs or other exceptional circumstances.
The latest announcement also includes a consultation on safety certification for educational technology used in classrooms.
Ms Ruffell welcomed greater scrutiny of technology in education, but argued that schools and parents need to consider not only how much technology children use, but whether it is appropriate for their development.
For Smartphone Free Childhood, the message remains that school restrictions are only part of the solution, and that changing children's relationship with smartphones requires action beyond the classroom.