£255,000 Fund Launched to Help Thames Valley Schools Go Phone-Free

As a father of three, I know first-hand how hard it can be to keep children safe online. Smartphones and social media have transformed childhood in ways we are only just beginning to understand, and parents and teachers are being asked to manage risks that simply didn’t exist a decade ago.

While we can take measures to limit their online access at home, what happens at school often feels out of our hands. According to Ofcom, 97% of children own a mobile phone by the age of 12, and the vast majority will be taking their devices into school each day. While there are often good reasons for that, it has negative consequences for student engagement, socialisation and bullying.

Last year, a report revealed that more than phone use was prohibited in over 90% of schools in England. Yet, many still struggle to enforce it. The National Behaviour Survey revealed that 29% of secondary school students report phones being used in lessons without permission.

The reason is straightforward. Most schools, with limited funding, can only ask students to keep their phones in their bags. In a school of hundreds of students, monitoring this consistently is extremely difficult.

This highlights the central issue: phone bans only work if schools have the tools, funding and resources to facilitate them.

Fortunately, the Thames Valley Police recognise this challenge. This morning, they announced a dedicated fund of £255,000 to support secondary schools in the Thames Valley area to become phone-free.

From today, schools can apply to receive funding of £11/student to invest in tools, such as phone pouches, lockers, or boxes. The funding will be made available in cash, giving schools the ability to choose a solution that best suits their staff and students.

The application deadline is Sunday 26^th July 2026, and the programme must be initiated by September 2027. Schools wishing to roll a phone-free initiative out before the new school year will be given the support to do so.

Eligible schools should have received an email from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. If yours has not, you can contact them directly using the information at the bottom of this page.

Access the full eligibility criteria here.