Participate in the Phone Use Survey
Understand attitudes towards phone use in your school or trust
This survey gathers insights from pupils, parents and staff about their attitudes towards phone use in schools.
It will help schools and trusts understand:
- Perceptions of the importance of phones in school
- Why pupils bring phones into school
- What impact phones have on behaviour in and outside the classroom
- Whether pupils, parents and staff would support a phone-free environment for learning
Surveys for staff, pupils, and parents:
The table below shows the main focus of each stakeholder survey, the number of available questions in the question bank (excluding demographic questions), as well as the average survey completion time.
| Survey | Focus area | Question bank | Completion time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff | Classroom disruption, pupil's phone use, phone-related issues | 9 | 5-10 min |
| Pupils | Phone use throughout the day, classroom focus, opinions on ban | 10 | 5-10 min |
| Parents | Communication with child during the day, views on phone ban | 8 | 5-10 min |
Phone use in schools: Staff survey
Modules
1. Demographics
- Captures the respondent’s role in school (e.g. teacher, leadership, admin, support).
2. Engagement and behaviour
- Explores how pupil phone use affects classroom focus and attention.
- Investigates the frequency and visibility of distractions caused by phones.
- Assesses staff perceptions of behaviour during lessons and break times.
3. Staff workload and wellbeing
- Looks at how managing phone-related behaviour contributes to workload.
- Explores the emotional impact of phone-related issues on staff wellbeing.
4. Phone-free schools
- Gauges support for a complete smartphone ban.
- Balances staff perspectives on phone restrictions with emergency contact needs.
- Invites open-ended feedback on ideal school phone policies.
Example questions
- “How often do pupils get distracted by their phone during lessons?”
- “To what extent does managing phone-related issues contribute to your workload?”
Phone use in schools: Pupil survey
Modules
1. Demographics
- Captures the pupil’s year group and gender.
2. Phone use at school
- Identifies whether pupils bring phones to school and why.
- Explores how important pupils feel it is to be contactable by family/carers.
3. Phone use frequency
- Looks at how often pupils check or use their phones throughout the school day.
- Includes usage during lessons and for communication with family.
4. Behaviour and online safety
- Assesses perceived disruption caused by phone use in class.
- Investigates awareness of online bullying linked to phones.
5. Phone-free schools
- Asks for pupil opinions on banning phones during the school day.
- Provides space for pupils to express their views and reasoning.
Example questions
- “How often do you check your phone during a normal lesson?”
- “How often do you notice online bullying at school related to phone use?”
Phone use in schools: Parent survey
Modules
1. Demographics
- Captures the school year and gender of the child.
2. Perspectives on phone use
- Captures parental views on their child bringing a phone to school.
- Explores how important it is for parents to contact their child during the day.
- Investigates behavioural concerns linked to phone use.
- Examines how phone-related challenges affect family dynamics and parental stress.
3. Phone-free schools
- Gathers opinions on whether limiting phone use would affect learning.
- Explores support for a full ban on smartphones during the school day.
- Includes space for parents to explain their views.
Example questions
- “To what extent does managing phone-related issues impact your relationship with your child?”
- “What impact do you think limiting your child’s phone use during school hours might have on their learning?”
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