Pupils’ mobile phones will be locked away during school day in every state high school in Cheshire under a new plan by Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dan Price.
Mr Price wants Cheshire to be the first county in the UK where ALL state high schools have lockable phone pouches.
And today he has announced he will back the the scheme with funds of up to £150,000.
Only nine of the county’s mainstream high schools have introduced lockable phone pouches.
While many schools have “out of sight” mobile bans, these are often seen as ineffective or difficult to enforce.
But schools with lockable pouches are reporting immediate positive results in wellbeing and a dramatic reduction in online safeguarding incidents.
In October 2025, Cheshire mum Esther Ghey, whose daughter Brianna was murdered in 2023, launched a national Phone Free Education campaign in Parliament.
Mr Price believes Cheshire can lead by being the first county in the UK to make it happen.
He added: “From a crime prevention perspective, this is an absolute no-brainer.
“Less online bullying, less access to potentially harmful or violent content, less distractions, less exclusions.
“In Cheshire of all places, we know the impact this can have. That’s why we must make this happen here.”
The £150,000 funding over two years aims to support schools in Cheshire to adopt phone pouches.
This will target funding to those in receipt of free school meals if their schools can find a way to fund the remaining amount.
Matched funding from public and philanthropic funds will be required to make sure all state high schools operate an effective phone-free solution by 2026.
With a conservative cost of £8.75 per pupil, the PCC hopes a county-wide approach may offer significant savings.
Esther Ghey said: “I urge every school in Cheshire to take advantage of this amazing initiative.
“Dan Price is absolutely leading the way, showing real commitment to improving young people’s wellbeing and safety.
“Lockable phone pouches are a simple step towards creating safer and more focused classrooms.
“I truly hope other Police and Crime Commissioners across the country follow his lead.”
As well as funding, schools who participate will receive support from this initiative in the form of information materials for parents and pupils, implementation plans and expertise from those schools that have already rolled out pouches.
Nationally, 79% of UK schools operate the lowest form of mobile phone ban and only 3.5% of schools ban phones being brought to school outright, according to a Parentkind poll.
Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “NAHT supports a ban on the use of mobile phones during the school day by pupils and we therefore welcome this initiative.
“While phones and the online world clearly offer benefits, there is a time and place for their use.
“As well as the safety issues which can arise, they can be an unhelpful distraction during the school day.
“Many schools already have restrictions on phones, but it is really positive that this scheme recognises that financial support is often needed to help ensure these are truly effective.”
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