Babies and under-fives will be at school before we know it — those first few years go by so fast! With that in mind, there is a hot topic that parents of such little ones need to be aware of: the case for stopping children from accessing mobile phones at school. Much has been said in the press recently about the subject. However, what is the evidence that removing access to mobiles will improve children’s education and well-being? Well, according to a ban undertaken in schools in the Netherlands, there is some very good evidence. After two years of the Dutch mobile phone ban, we now have some clear findings. We’ll take a look at those and explore the issue in today’s topic: The Case for Banning Mobile Phones at School.
The Dutch Ban on Mobile Phones in Schools
It was more than a trial in the Netherlands; the Dutch government effectively banned* access to mobile phones by students in schools. The idea was to encourage better concentration in lessons, remove the distractions invariably caused by mobiles, and thereby improve academic performance and outcomes for the students. That mobile ban began 2 years ago. Subsequently, smartwatches and tablets were also added to the list of banned devices — smart devices are simply not allowed. Signage is typically displayed at school gates, announcing that any smartphones and devices must be stowed securely in children’s lockers from the moment they enter the school building. Better still, leave them at home!
* This wasn’t a new law, as such. Instead, it was an agreement between the Dutch government, schools, teachers, and parents, who all bought into the initiative. Such an approach got everyone on board and was far quicker to implement than waiting for a law to be passed — an innovative and, it turns out, effective approach.
What Are Teachers Saying?
Firstly, because the scheme is a buy-in by parents, teachers, school heads, and the government, teachers do not feel alone in the enforcement of the phone ban. It’s a multi-stakeholder initiative and, as such, attracts minimal friction, leaving teachers liberated from the need to significantly ‘police’ it.
The Dutch teachers believe the mobile phone ban in schools is a success. Children have better focus in lessons and while undertaking school work. Attention is significantly improved. Unsurprisingly, therefore, teachers are seeing an improvement in academic performance as a result.
What’s more, teachers have noticed that children are calmer and more relaxed. They no longer have to concern themselves with communications coming from all quarters, being photographed by peers, or images of them being posted to social media.
What the Data Says About The Dutch Ban
Such findings by teachers are backed up by data from the Dutch mobile ban. A study commissioned by the Dutch government found that about 75% of schools surveyed confirmed a significant increase in the levels of student concentration. A third showed clear improvements in children’s academic performance, and two-thirds experienced an improved social climate as a result of the mobile phone ban. Bullying levels were seen to drop in other similar studies.
“UNESCO called for smartphones to be banned from schools as evidence showed it was linked to reduced educational performance and that excessive screen time had a negative impact on children’s wellbeing.” — Gov.uk(∞)
What Are Students Saying?
Children inevitably had initial misgivings and perhaps mixed feelings when the ban first came into force. After all, mobile phones, particularly Internet-connected smartphones, are multifaceted and alluring pieces of kit that some may argue are even addictive. So, some children were inevitably anti-ban. However, children in Dutch schools are now finding themselves living more in the moment, whether socialising with friends, at play, or in the classroom. They are now more present. Some, who had expected school life without a smartphone to be a retrograde step, report that they went on to experience no downside at all. Furthermore, students are saying that they are not making up for lost smartphone time before or after school. They’re becoming more social in real life.
“By the age of 12, 97% of children have their own mobile phone, according to Ofcom. Using mobile phones in schools can lead to online bullying, distraction and classroom disruption which, in turn, can lead to lost learning time.” — Gov.uk
How Do the Provisions for Mobile Bans in Schools in England Compare?
While, as yet, there is no official government ban on mobile phones in schools in England, they are strongly discouraged via official guidance. That said, the government continues to explore the possibility of an outright ban and has updated its guidance for schools as recently as this year (2026).
While it’s guidance from the government for now, the majority of individual schools in England have already banned mobile phones in some way. Exact policies vary, but if brought to school, many require them to be handed in or locked away, for example, in lockers or special pouches. Some have even installed charging points within lockers as an incentive for kids to stow them inside.
“The Department for Education says phones ‘have no place in the classroom’, and that Ofsted will be judging the implementation of schools’ phone policies going forward.” — BBC
Is There a Downside to Banning Mobile Phones in Schools?
Safety-conscious parents may previously have used smartphones to track the whereabouts of their children, including at school. If the phone is in a locker, though, that’s not possible. However, this is easy to fix with something like a Bluetooth tracker. Various options and suppliers are available, using several different technologies for the tracking element. An Apple Air Tag is a well-known example. Like many of the other tracking devices, these are small enough to put in a child’s pocket or pencil case, or to attach to a backpack.
Another current downside in England, at least for now, is that a phone ban can be tricky to enforce. That’s not least because of the challenges of making a school phone-free without a legal ban. Some children may also simply hide phones, making them silent, or switching them off for stretches of time. A full, legal ban, however, may hold more weight against activities, as more people would buy into the rules by default. And, with all children following the same rules, there would no longer be a fear of missing out.
“Nearly a quarter of five-to-seven-year-olds now have their own smartphone, and nine out of 10 students own a mobile phone by the time they reach secondary school, according to Ofcom.” — BBC
What About Children Under Five?
Today’s post is timely because the Government released new guidance just this week (late March 2026), recommending that children under five should spend no more than one hour a day on screen time. The advice goes on to recommend that children aged under two should avoid screentime completely, except where it is shared with an adult as part of a bonding activity, interaction, or conversation.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that smartphones, and even so-called dumb phones, don’t belong in the classroom — or playground for that matter. And removing children’s access to them at school does seem to result in some very positive outcomes. That’s a fact that should come as no huge surprise, given what a distraction they can be. With that in mind, the UK government continues to tighten up guidance and further explore the possibility of a legal ban.
The debates and news around the use of smartphones by children continue to swamp the news this month. As we said near the start, it’s a very hot topic right now. Just this week, Meta and Google were both found to be liable by a U.S. jury for building addictive platforms that harm children’s mental health, according to the BBC and other news outlets. We may come back separately to the topic of screentime and use of social media by children in due course, so watch this space!
Little Cedars: a High-Quality Childcare Provider in Streatham
Year-Round Childcare Services in Streatham — Little Cedars Day Nursery
We hope that today’s article from our comprehensive blog area is of interest to parents. For those with children under five living near Streatham, Little Cedars Nursery represents a wonderful choice for weekday childcare. We’re open virtually all year round and are conveniently located close to Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury, and Colliers Wood. We offer fabulous facilities, wonderful staff, and a warm, homely environment for babies, toddlers and under-fives. Children at Little Cedars Nursery are given the very best start, as attested by our good Ofsted rating, and we support funded childcare places for eligible children.
If Little Cedars Day Nursery sounds of interest, please get in touch today to explore a possible nursery/preschool place for your baby or child under five:
Except for Safeguarding, the new Report Card will show Ofsted’s evaluation of each of the assessment areas as one of the following:
Each year on 20 November, families, nurseries, and schools around the world mark World Children’s Day — a global celebration of children and a reminder that every child deserves to be safe, loved, and heard.
At Little Cedars Nursery, we believe childhood should be filled with discovery, laughter, and a sense of belonging. Each day presents countless opportunities for children to explore their world, build friendships and develop confidence in who they are.
The values behind World Children’s Day are deeply woven into the early years. When children feel valued and respected, they learn to value and respect others. Through play, they develop empathy — comforting a friend who feels sad, or cheering when someone else achieves something new.
Even the youngest children have ideas, preferences, and opinions — and part of our role is to listen carefully to them. That might mean noticing a baby’s cues and interests, or responding when a toddler points out something new they’ve discovered.
While World Children’s Day falls just once a year, its spirit is something we celebrate every day. Each time a child is encouraged to speak up, to show kindness, or to follow their curiosity, they’re practising the values that shape a fair and caring world.
At first glance, this devotion to a single story might seem puzzling. As adults, we crave novelty and variation, and it’s tempting to encourage children to explore new titles or gently steer them towards something ‘different’. But this desire for repetition is not only entirely normal for infants, toddlers and preschoolers — it’s actually a sign of healthy development. In fact, there’s a great deal happening beneath the surface every time your child requests a beloved book for the umpteenth time.
There is also an emotional component to repeated reading. When a child hears a favourite story in the voice of a parent or trusted adult, it creates a strong sense of connection. The warmth, tone and rhythm of familiar words spoken by someone they love reinforce a feeling of safety and belonging. For many children, this shared experience becomes part of their routine, and returning to a much-loved story can offer comfort in moments of transition, tiredness or uncertainty.
One of the clearest benefits of repeated reading is vocabulary development. Hearing the same words and phrases over time helps children internalise them. This is especially important when books introduce new or more complex language than a child might hear in everyday conversation. By encountering those words again and again in a familiar context, children begin to understand them more deeply and even start to use them in their own speech. The rhythm and rhyme found in many favourite books further support this by making the language more memorable and easier to imitate.
At home, parents or carers can support this by continuing to follow a child’s lead. If your child keeps choosing the same book, that’s a good thing — it means they’re connecting with it. You can enhance the experience by reading with enthusiasm, pausing to let your child fill in familiar lines, or asking gentle questions like “What happens next?” or “How do you think they feel here?” If your child wants to tell you the story instead, even better — this kind of role reversal strengthens memory, language, and storytelling abilities.
Eventually, children do move on. When they’ve had their fill of a particular book, they’re often ready to explore new stories with a richer set of skills in place. The comfort and confidence gained from repeated readings help them approach unfamiliar books with greater interest and less frustration. So rather than seeing repetition as a rut, it’s helpful to view it as a bridge — a way for children to move steadily from the familiar to the new.
Our practitioners are skilled at making repeated reading feel fresh and interactive, even when the story is already very familiar. By using expressive voices, gestures, and encouraging children to join in with key words or sounds, we help bring the story to life each time. Children are often invited to take on the role of storyteller themselves, turning pages, pointing to pictures, and even “reading” aloud from memory. These small but powerful moments help build confidence and strengthen communication skills in a way that feels natural and joyful.
Concepts involving numbers and counting can sometimes be tricky for some preschoolers to grasp. Making sense of such concepts is important, though, because many aspects of children’s day-to-day lives will require an increasing understanding of numbers as time passes. Whether it’s knowing if a quantity of something is more or less than something else, how much of an ingredient is required in a mixture, or what change to expect from a purchase, children will need to grasp number-based concepts — and understand their real-world applications. What’s more, they’ll need to do this sooner rather than later if they’re to thrive, not least when they leave early years settings to begin school.
Making ‘number cards’ with your child will be a fun and useful first step. These could be as simple as small pieces of paper or card, each having a single large number written clearly on them. Alternatively, your child could take the opportunity to get more creative. For example, you and your child could make the numbers bright and colourful, have patterned in-fills, or even be made to look like animals or number ‘characters’ that have eyes. For the very young, start with numbers up to 5, or go to 10 or even 20 for older and more advanced children. Size-wise, perhaps aim for cards sized at about A6 (a quarter of an A4 sheet) or even A7 (A4 divided into 8).
A more advanced form of the number cards could depict the correct number of dots (or other drawn objects) instead of — or as well as — the actual written number. So, for example, the ‘3’ card could show a column or row of 3 round dots or squares or even something like 3 drawn strawberries — whatever your child likes! In a way, it’s a bit like traditional playing cards where each has both a number and the right amount of hearts, diamonds, clubs or spades on it, to match the number.
This next game will require a set of dominoes or, if you don’t have a set, they’re also easy enough to make in a similar way to the number cards. As you may know, each half of every domino has a number of dots, most commonly from 1 to 6. So, for example, there might be two dots on one end and five on the other, with the dot formations being rather like those you’d see on dice.
Understanding whether a quantity of something is more or less than something else is an important concept for children to grasp. Similarly, being able to estimate a quantity is a useful and practical skill for little ones to master. Such concepts can easily be highlighted, and the skills mastered, using simple estimating games. Some examples follow.
Pretending to be a shopkeeper or a shopper buying from one is a great next step for children. What’s more, they’ll naturally love playing shops having, no doubt, accompanied parents to real shops. This is where they can put all the things they’ve learned from the games above into practice. They can check they have the right quantities, weights or volumes or products, check they’re giving the shopkeeper the right amount of money, ensure that any change is correct — and so on! Playing shops is such a great way to master numbers, counting, estimating, weighing, addition, subtraction and more!
May’s World Bee Day is a wonderful and very worthwhile International event. It’s also one that’s perfect for children, including under-fives, to get involved in. Not only does it raise families’ awareness of the importance of bees and pollinators, but it’s also a great opportunity to introduce little ones to some of nature’s adorable little creatures and get them more interested in the natural world. 
World Bee Day arrives on the same date each year — the 20th of May. The annual event celebrates bees and other pollinators and the important role they play in the world. Without them, there would be no food crops, fruit, vegetables, or nuts, leaving animals — including humans — in real mortal danger. The event also raises awareness of the plight and dwindling numbers of bees and other pollinators around the world, shining a spotlight on ways to reverse their decline.
Children naturally take to planting seeds, tending seedlings as they grow, and watering plants and flowers. That’s great because it gives many opportunities for 
Wherever there are flowers, children will find bees, particularly if the flowers are brightly coloured and fragrant. A walk around the local neighbourhood, park, or natural open spaces will be both great exercise and an opportunity for little ones to spot some lovely bees and pollinators. Getting outdoors (appropriately supervised* and dressed) is beneficial to children in many ways, and a bee-spotting walk will be a simple way to introduce them to these important and cute little creatures. Can they spot a bumblebee? Can they spot a bee collecting nectar in their leg pouches (also known as pollen baskets or corbiculae)? Which 
If the weather is unsuitable for outdoor activities, one of the easiest bee-related activities that children can take part in is making bee art. They can try drawing bumblebees, flowers, and hives with pencils, pens, or markers. Alternatively, they can get even more creative using paints or collages. Cutting up coloured tissue paper shapes and making bee-related images using appliqué is sure to be fun and impressive (child-safe scissors being used by parents or under super-close supervision). Parents can perhaps cut out any tricky shapes for the youngest children and then help guide them as they glue bee, flower, or hive elements into place.
Bee art can be extended further by creating three-dimensional models and shapes. With a little help from parents or older siblings, even children under five can take part. They will enjoy sticking shaped paper or cardboard pieces and other recycled materials into place to form three-dimensional bees and flowers. Useful materials for such models could be things like corrugated card, tissue paper in various colours, coloured pipe cleaners, fabric, kitchen roll cores, paper plates and cups and, of course, coloured paints to decorate the final piece. Such creations can be as simple or complex as families like. This is a great activity to boost fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination!
Children can get into bee-inspired fancy dress while doing their waggle dance! Striped clothes will help. Perhaps parents can help them make wings from card or material and shaped wire. Some antennae should not be too difficult to make from a headband, some pipe cleaners and some homemade pom-poms or foam balls from a craft shop. Children will love such creativity and the fun that ensues with friends once they’re all dressed up!
The bee-related activity ideas suggested in today’s post will be a fabulous way to introduce children to these magical little creatures, the wonderful work they do for us and the planet, and the measures little ones can take in their own lives to improve the plight of the natural world. The activities will also be fun and educational — indeed supporting many areas of 