New and improved guidance for mobile phone use in schools on the way

A report to the Education Policy and Development Scrutiny Panel detailed how updated guidance for schools is expected to come into effect during the 2026/27 term, and will incorporate Scottish Government advice on the issue, which is due to be published soon.
It recognises both the potential harms associated with mobile phone use and the need for flexibility, including appropriate exemptions for learning, health and additional support needs.
The new West Lothian wide guidance will set clear expectations on mobile use, provide a consistent approach while providing a degree of flexibility for individual schools.
This will enable local schools to balance the impact of smartphones and similar devices on learning, behaviour and wellbeing, alongside the need to equip children and young people with the digital and social skills to use technology responsibly.
Individual West Lothian schools will have the flexibility to become phone-free for the whole school, or prohibit their use in specific classrooms if required. 
A wide-ranging consultation over mobile use in schools involving pupils, parents/carers, staff, headteachers and trade unions was carried out recently, following a Council Motion requesting further investigation into their impact.
The consultation included responses from 5257 parents and carers, 2253 pupils, 340 Education staff and 49 schools. 
This showed a wide range of different and often strongly held views over mobile phone use in schools, affecting education, health and wellbeing, digital skills and more.
Key findings from the consultation were:
•    Pupils did not support a full ban on mobile phones with the majority preferring restricted, teacher directed use, with phones stored during lessons and accessed only when directed.
•    There was strong parental support for restriction, particularly in primary, with most parents supporting the removal of mobile phones during the school day. Parents of older pupils were more likely to support managed or restricted use rather than a full ban.
•    School staff reported a clear positive impact on learning and behaviour, with case study evidence demonstrating improvements in classroom focus following the introduction of clearer expectations and storage routines.
All groups supported the need for exemptions, particularly for medical needs, accessibility and additional support needs and raised equity and digital inclusion concerns around learning relying on pupil owned devices.
Good practice in schools in West Lothian and across Scotland has also been looked at. This tends to support learning being phone free where possible, with exemptions for educations tasks when specifically directed by the teacher, or medical or additional support needs.