At stem4, the UK charity dedicated to supporting the mental health of teenagers and young adults, we welcome the government’s guidance acknowledging that schools’ mobile phone policies must be implemented alongside existing legal duties, particularly the duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 and to support pupils with medical and mental health needs under the Children and Families Act 2014.
We agree that reducing distraction and disruption in schools is important. However, blanket bans on mobile phones, if applied without sufficient flexibility, risk disadvantaging pupils who rely on them for managing health, including mental health. While physical health needs, such as diabetes monitoring via continuous glucose sensors linked to phones, are increasingly recognised, mental health needs are often less visible and harder for pupils to articulate, particularly in moments of acute distress.
The guidance allows flexibility but also frames phone use as something that should usually take place in supervised settings, such as a Head of Year’s office. In practice, this can mean that a pupil experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, or overwhelming emotions is expected to seek out a senior member of staff each time they need support. For many young people, this expectation is unrealistic and can increase anxiety, delay help, and discourage help-seeking.
We are seeing what researchers have described as a “smartphone paradox”: while there are legitimate concerns about distraction and excessive use, smartphones can provide some young people with their most effective and accessible form of mental health support. Clinically informed apps, used at the moment of distress, can prevent escalation and reduce risk.
Evidence from stem4’s Clear Fear app highlights the importance of immediacy. In a peer-reviewed study published in JMIR Formative Research, young people who used the app showed statistically significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and emotional difficulties. Ninety-two per cent reported reduced anxiety, and 87% said the app helped reassure them when distressed. These benefits depend on access at the moment it is needed, not after delay or relocation.
Mental health apps also provide opportunities for young people to practise and familiarise themselves with key coping strategies outside of school. By having an app on their phone, pupils can practise techniques at home, often with parents or carers, so they already know what to do and how to apply strategies whilst at school. This supports consistency, self-regulation, and confidence, and reduces the need for active phone use during lessons.
Digital tools like Clear Fear are increasingly critical given current pressures on NHS services. Fewer than half of young people who need mental health support receive timely care, and long waiting lists leave many without help. Clinically informed apps provide immediate, evidence-based support that complements, rather than replaces, existing services, helping pupils manage distress and remain engaged in school.
We therefore urge schools to:
- Recognise clinically informed mental health apps as a potential reasonable adjustment
- Develop compassionate, practical processes that do not require pupils to repeatedly disclose distress
- Provide opportunities for pupils to practise strategies outside of school by having an app on their phone so they know what to do whilst at school
- Agree discreet, time-limited and purpose-specific phone access with pupils, families, and clinicians where appropriate
- Train staff to understand how apps are used in real-world settings
Flexibility does not mean the removal of boundaries. It means designing policies that are humane, lawful, and grounded in evidence; policies that support pupils to stay regulated, engaged, and safe.
As conversations about mobile phone use in schools continue, we urge policymakers and education leaders to ensure that mental health is not treated as an afterthought. Digital tools, when clinically informed and responsibly used, can be a lifeline, and denying access at critical moments may do more harm than good.
We would welcome the opportunity to support schools in developing policies that balance learning, safety, and wellbeing, and to share further evidence from our research and practice.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Nihara Krause MBE
Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Founder
stem4
Looking to support anxiety and resilience in school?
Explore Clear Fear for Schools.
