Supporting Pupils with SEND or Medical Needs When Introducing a Mobile Phone-Free Policy in School

The Department for Education (DfE) has called for schools to begin following their statutory guidance on mobile phones in schools from September 2026, stating that ‘all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default’.

But what does this mean for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), or medical needs? In many cases, a standard mobile phone-free policy or routine won’t work for these pupils, making parents understandably concerned.

What Does the DfE Guidance Say About SEND?

While the guidance makes clear that phones should be unavailable throughout the school day to reduce disruption and distraction, it does say that schools must also comply with their other legal duties such as the duty to make reasonable adjustments where necessary. Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take reasonable steps to avoid substantial disadvantage to disabled pupils caused by their policies.

In practice, this means that all schools need to consider how their mobile phone policy will impact SEND pupils (or those with medical needs) and make reasonable adjustments where necessary. This includes how they will assess the need for phone access and how they will manage ongoing phone access in line with their mobile phone-free policy.

How Should Schools Implement the DfE Guidance for SEND Pupils?

1. Build reasonable adjustments into your phone policy from the start

The written policy should state clearly that:

• the normal rule is no pupil access during the school day

• reasonable adjustments and other individual adaptations may be agreed

• requests will be assessed individually by the SENCO and an appropriate senior leader

• agreed arrangements will specify the permitted purpose, times, locations and safeguards

• sanctions and confiscation will take account of the pupil’s SEND and individual circumstances

DfE behaviour guidance says phone policies should explain how reasonable adjustments and adaptations can be made for specific pupils. It also requires schools to assess each case on its own merits.

You can access RHINO’s template mobile phone policy, here.

2. Identify specific needs for each SEND pupil

The assessment should consider:

• what difficulty/difficulties the pupil experiences

• whether the phone performs an essential medical, communication, accessibility or regulation function

• what disadvantage the standard rule would cause

• whether another school-provided device or support could meet the need

• the least restrictive arrangement that will work

• any safeguarding, privacy, recording or online-safety risks

Where a disabled pupil would be placed at a substantial disadvantage, the school must take reasonable steps to avoid that disadvantage. Schools may also be required to provide auxiliary aids or services.

3. Co-produce an individual phone-access plan

Schools should discuss the arrangement with the pupil, parents or carers, the SENCO and, where relevant, medical professionals. The DfE specifically recommends communicating directly with parents of pupils who may need an adaptation and co-producing a suitable plan.

A short plan should record:

• the reason for access

• the functions or apps permitted

• when and where the phone may be accessed

• whether supervision is required

• how the phone is stored at other times

• who can authorise access

• what happens during emergencies, trips and examinations

• how misuse will be addressed

• the review date

This can be linked to the pupil’s SEN support plan, EHCP provision, individual healthcare plan, pastoral plan or young-carer arrangements.

4. Restrict the exception to its agreed purpose

An adjustment does not normally mean unrestricted phone use. DfE guidance says schools should establish practices allowing access for a specific purpose, at specific times and in specific locations, such as a designated pastoral or Head of Year office.

Possible arrangements include:

• the phone remaining secured in an unlocked Velcro pouch

• the phone being kept in the medical room or SEN base if more assistance is needed with use

• access only to a named medical or communication app

• notifications, messaging, camera and social-media functions being disabled

• supervised access during a planned regulation break

• using a school-managed device instead, where it meets the pupil’s needs

5. Train staff and protect pupil privacy

Relevant staff should know that an adjustment exists and how to implement it, without unnecessarily sharing the pupil’s diagnosis or private information.

The school should avoid situations in which an authorised pupil is repeatedly challenged or sanctioned because staff do not recognise the arrangement. A discreet pass, staff register or safeguarding-management-system alert may help.

How RHINO’s Velcro Pouches Can Help

Velcro pouches can support you in your duty to provide reasonable adjustments for SEND pupils. Our Velcro Pouches still offer a visual and behavioural barrier but enable more flexible access arrangements to be implemented with ease.

• Phones are still kept switched off and out of use as a rule, but they can be easily accessed when required for a specified medical, communication or accessibility purposes

• There’s no need to visit an unlocking station to access the phone

• SEND pupils will feel part of the same policy as everyone else by having a pouch that looks very similar to the lockable version

Visit RHINO Phone Pouch for more information and to enquire today.

For more information and helpful articles on the DfE’s statutory guidance on ‘Mobile Phones in Schools’, visit RHINO's News pages.