Quick question: are you reading this on your phone?

Probably, but for school leaders, what’s happening behind that everyday habit is becoming harder to ignore.

In our latest Leadership Focus feature, we explore smartphones, schools and the struggle for balance, combining frontline insight with new research that puts real evidence behind what you’re seeing in classrooms, corridors and playgrounds.

We hear from Dr Ben Knight (University of the West of England), whose study of 3,700 pupils, 1,500 parents and 350 staff paints a stark picture:

• Pupils staying up late on phones, arriving tired and struggling to focus
• Group chats driving conflict, often spilling straight into the school day
• Staff dealing with issues that start well outside the school gates
• A growing gap between what young people want and what may actually protect them.

Alongside this, school leaders share what this looks like in practice, from behaviour and attention challenges to the time and workload required to pick up the pieces.

There are no easy answers. Phones are embedded in everyday life, and school leaders are navigating a careful balance between keeping children safe and preparing them for a digital world they can’t avoid, all while new government action and national debate gather pace.

This feature cuts through the noise to explore what’s happening, what’s working and what needs to happen next.