Question
Will the Minister congratulate King Edward VI high school in my constituency, which has rolled out a phone-free school programme this year that the young people have welcomed? However, other headteachers across my constituency—at Sir Graham Balfour, Stafford Manor and Blessed William Howard schools—have said that the resources needed to administer a phone-free school are a challenge. Will the Minister say more about the support we can provide to schools that are putting the measures in place?
Answer
I thank the teachers and the headteacher at King Edward VI high school. I will also share a reflection that many Members of the House will have had from school visits, which is that children who may have gone into the process thinking that they would miss accessing their smartphones in break time—or sometimes in lessons, when they should not be on them—often described the freedom that comes from focusing that big chunk of the day on in-person interaction and learning. As I have said, just under 40%—39%—of secondary schools already have a full effective ban in place in line with what we are proposing. We will, of course, engage with school leaders in the coming months to ensure that our proposal is designed in such a way that it will be implemented effectively.
Verdict: AMBER (50/100)
The reply covers the first part of the question: it thanks the teachers and headteacher at King Edward VI High School by name, which serves as the requested congratulations. The second part, about what support the Government will give schools, is only partly answered. The reply promises to engage school leaders in the coming months but names no specific support, guidance, funding or resources. A questioner would likely need to ask again for concrete detail on what schools will actually receive.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Minister will congratulate King Edward VI high school on rolling out its phone-free school programme this year. | Addressed | Direct | The reply thanks the teachers and headteacher at King Edward VI high school by name, which is a direct, school-specific acknowledgment that substitutes for the requested congratulations, though it uses thanks rather than the word 'congratulate'. |
| What support the Government is offering, or can offer, to schools that are putting phone-free measures in place. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The only statement that describes Government action toward schools is the commitment to engage school leaders in the coming months so the proposal can be implemented effectively, which is a real but vague answer; it names no concrete support, guidance, funding or resource. The other statements (the school-visit reflection and the 40% figure) describe pupil experience and existing uptake rather than support on offer. |