The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet to discuss mobile phone policies in schools and review the scrutiny work programme for 2025-26. The committee will also confirm the minutes from its meeting held on 15 October 2025, and consider any public petitions.

Report on Mobile Phone Policies in Schools

The committee is scheduled to discuss a report on mobile phone policies in schools. The report provides an update on guidance, policies and emerging practices regarding mobile phone use in schools, following the Department for Education (DfE) issuing non-statutory guidance in February 2024 recommending that all schools prohibit mobile phone use throughout the school day¹. The non-statutory guidance states that schools should develop a mobile phone policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime.

The report mentions that the guidance comprises four key documents:

• Mobile Phones in Schools: guidance
• Creating a Mobile Free School Environment
• A Toolkit for Schools
• Mobile Phones in Schools: Case studies

The guidance sets out four policy models: no phones on site, phones handed in on arrival, phones stored in lockers, and never used, seen or heard .

The report notes that nationally, over 90% of schools restrict mobile phone use during the school day. While Hertfordshire does not have a single county-wide policy, most schools have formal restrictions or bans, typically under behaviour and safeguarding policies. Local initiatives, such as the Smartphone-Free Childhood pledge, have gained traction, with over 3,700 parents across 317 Hertfordshire schools committing to delay smartphone ownership until Year 9.

The report also notes some implementation challenges:

• Cost of secure storage solutions (e.g., magnetic pouches, lockers).
• Pupils sometimes bringing multiple phones or tampering with pouches.
• Parental cooperation is essential; mixed responses reported.
• Equity concerns: costs and enforcement can disproportionately affect some families.

The report highlights that schools are encouraged to leverage Generative AI² and digital tools to address underachievement, especially for disadvantaged pupils, and to support careers education and preparation for adult life. It also notes that schools need to establish how restricting phone use fits with digital learning, and that clear communication is needed to explain that bans target unsupervised personal use, while structured, purposeful use of technology remains integral to teaching and learning strategies.

The report concludes that most Hertfordshire schools have adopted policies restricting mobile phone use, broadly in line with national guidance, and that research indicates that bans are most effective when combined with wider strategies on online safety and parental engagement.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2025-26

The committee will review and update the scrutiny work programme 2025-26 to ensure it is balanced and reflects issues affecting Hertfordshire and its residents. The committee can decide whether an item is considered at a committee meeting, a Scrutiny Review, bulletin, or member webinar.

The Scrutiny Work Programme Report 2025-26 includes the following themes for committee meetings:

• Budget Scrutiny (February 2026)
• HCC staffing update – performance and productivity (April 2026)

The report also mentions a scrutiny review to include evidence on infrastructure delivery, planning enforcement and sustainable transport, and sustainable transport.

Additionally, the report notes that Councillor Richard Short raised a question relating to home care delivered in the community, seeking clarity on how care providers deliver calls and whether cost is the primary driver leading to loneliness of people in receipt of care because providers do not have time to sit and chat but are rushing to the next call. A written response/briefing has been requested from Adult Care, which will be circulated to the committee.

The report also lists topics proposed by the previous Overview and Scrutiny Committee, including an update from Hertfordshire Futures on its policy, strategy and funding, an update on the 100,000 homes in Hertfordshire and the impact this has on Highways and other services and the capacity to manage and oversee this, and enforcement of issues such as planning and options re approaches to enforce Highway Litigation.