'Whole society' approach needed to stop pupils doom scrolling - with most schools already banning phones

A "whole society" approach is needed to stop children doom-scrolling beyond the classroom with most schools already banning mobile phones, research has found.

Data from the children's commissioner for England reveals 90% of secondary schools and 99.8% of primary schools already have policies in place that stop the use of mobile phones during the day. However, online safety is still the second most cited concern for school leaders, second only to mental health services.

Politics latest: Labour MP calls for a minister to be sacked over handling of grooming gang inquiries Children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said the findings show banning phones in schools "will not keep children safe when they go home" and stronger action is needed. Solutions she will call for on Thursday include not giving children under-16s smartphones and greater accountability for tech companies, Sky News understands.

Dame Rachel will also call on parents to model the behaviour they want in their children, such as screen breaks, no phones at meals and not taking phones to bed. The research showed nearly a quarter of children spend more than four hours a day on an internet-enabled device.

The data includes responses from 19,000 schools, making it the most comprehensive evidence to date on mobile phone policies in the classroom. It found most schools had strict rules, including not allowing phones on to school grounds at all, requiring pupils to hand them in or requiring them to be kept out of sight.

Secondary schools were more likely to allow some phone use, with about 10% permitting it during breaks or lunchtime. The children's commissioner said the findings prove that most schools already have phone policies aligned with the Department for Education's non-statutory guidance.

Read More:Family reveal fears for son as they say drama 'touched nerve'Watchdog to investigate 'suicide forum'Teenagers exposed to 'horrific' content online This was introduced by the Tories last year, but the party now says headteachers should be legally required to ban phones from schools, something Labour has ruled out. Dame Rachel said headteachers do not need "direction imposed nationally by the government.