- Half (49%) of parents of children aged 11-18 in England expect their child to find a workaround to the Government's school smartphone ban, which becomes legally enforceable on Monday, 29 June[1]
- Over a quarter (27%) of parents in England believe their child would sneak a phone into school, one in five (22%) think they'll look for places out of sight, while others expect workarounds like using a smartwatch (18%) or handing in a ‘decoy’ phone (14%)
- A third (32%) of parents whose children have a phone predict that a phone-free school day will increase screen time demands at home[2]
- Nearly half (46%) of UK parents don’t know that hidden browsers and VPNs can bypass the parental controls placed on their child's phone[5]
- A new free tool from Uswitch gives parents personalised, step-by-step guidance on the safety features available on their child's exact device and broadband provider
Half (49%) of parents of children aged 11-18 in England expect their child to find a workaround to the Government's school smartphone ban[1], according to new research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Schools in England are legally required to restrict phone use from 29 June - and with Ofsted checking up on them, most will take that seriously. But many parents suspect their children are already one step ahead. Over a quarter (27%) believe their child would sneak a phone into school, while one in five (22%) think they'll look for places out of sight.
Others anticipate workarounds such as using alternative devices like smartwatches (18%) or even handing in a ‘decoy’ phone while keeping their real one (14%).
A third (32%) of parents say a phone-free school day could lead to greater screen time demands at home – and nearly half (46%) say screen time is already the most likely cause of arguments in their household[4] – making home device management just as important as what happens in the classroom[2].
Three in 10 parents who have safety features in place say their child has found a way around them[3] – and one in five say their child has watched them type in a passcode to try to get hold of it[6]. Nearly half (46%) of UK parents of children aged 11-18 either don't know or believe it untrue that hidden browsers and VPNs can bypass the parental controls placed on their child's phone[5].
With many parents unaware of the ways children are bypassing controls, Uswitch has launched the free Safer Screens tool, offering device-specific, step-by-step guidance tailored to each family's exact phone, tablet, and broadband provider.
Ernest Doku, Uswitch technology expert, adds: "For schools without a plan in place already, the smartphone ban will make a difference during the school day – but the challenge for most families doesn't stop at 3pm.
“With the summer holidays just around the corner, children will be spending more time at home with their devices than ever, and that's where parents often feel least in control.
"Setting up parental controls is a good first step, but many parents don't realise that a hidden browser or VPN can bypass them entirely, and children often know this before their parents do.
"No tool or technology will ever completely close every gap, but for parents unsure how to
handle phone use, understanding what their child's specific device can actually do puts them in a much stronger position."
Find out more about Uswitch’s Safer Screens tool.
ENDS
For more information
Harriet Atkinson | Telecoms PR Manager
harriet.atkinson@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Opinium surveyed a sample of 1,000 UK parents of children aged 11 to 18 between 1–7 May 2026.
- Participants in England were asked: "Do you think your child will use any of the following 'workarounds' to get past the mandatory school phone ban?" 49% of respondents reported their child will find a workaround to the ban.
- Participants whose child has a phone were asked: "Thinking about the 'after-school' period, what impact, if any, do you think a phone-free school day will have on your child's evening screen time?" 32% of respondents reported that it will lead to a surge.
- Participants who have safety features in place were asked: Has your child ever bypassed or 'dodged' the digital restrictions you have put in place? 30% of parents with safety features in place reported their child had bypassed or dodged digital restrictions.
- Participants were asked: "What, if anything, is most likely to cause an argument with your child in your house today?" 46% of respondents reported that screen time is most likely to cause arguments.
- Participants were asked: "Do you think the following statement is true or false? 'Hidden/private browsers and VPNs can bypass technology limits (such as parental controls) placed on phones.'" 11% said False, and 35% said Don't know, giving a combined 46% who were unaware that this is possible.
- Participants were asked: Has your child ever 'shoulder-surfed' (watched you type) to steal your passcode or parental control password? 21% of parents with safety features in place reported their child had watched them type a passcode to try to steal it.
- Participants who have bought a phone for their eldest child were asked: "What, if anything, was the biggest challenge when deciding which mobile phone to purchase for your child?” 34% said balancing what they thought was appropriate with what their child wanted, 33% said balancing safety features with cost and value for money