Brianna Ghey's school bans phones in wake of her murder - with astonishing results

headteacher says an all-out phone ban introduced at the school in the wake of her death has "transformed behaviour."

In September, Community High School near Warrington introduced special pouches to lock students' phones during the school day in a bid to curb bullying and mental health issues. Now seven months on, head Emma Mills, who works closely with Brianna's mum Esther, says the scheme is "allowing kids to be kids again."

"Around school, there is more chatter in the corridors at breaks and lunch, students are more focused in lessons and the number attending House competitions and enrichment activities has risen," she said. "Students say they like the ‘break’ from it. They said it has reduced their stress levels knowing they don’t have to think about what is happening.

Pupils at Birchwood - where Brianna met her killer Scarlett Jenkinson - place their phones in a lockable pouch at the start of the day which does not open until home time. Emma says the scheme has seen youngsters cut their phone use out of school too.

She added: "Students say they like the ‘break’ from it. They say it has reduced their stress levels knowing they don’t have to think about what is happening. It has made them realise they can live without it. With 23 years in education, I have seen, over time, the impact that phones and social media have had on young people. Seeing how our behaviour and safeguarding issues around phones and the online have nearly disappeared feels like a big moment."

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Last night Brianna's mum Esther, who is campaigning for phone-free schools, said of the scheme's success: "I'm incredibly proud of the steps Birchwood High School has taken to ban phones and implement Yonder pouches. Brianna often struggled with distraction in school due to her smartphone and social media use, and I truly believe this initiative would have made a meaningful difference for her.

"After speaking with many teachers, it's clear that smartphones are having a deeply harmful impact in schools. Educators are constantly battling the effects of what students are exposed to online, whether it's misogynistic content, self-harm, suicidal ideation, or bullying through and other platforms.

"Despite the tireless efforts of schools, I'm deeply disappointed that the Labour government has yet to support them through a statutory ban. Schools deserve stronger guidance and proper funding for solutions like secure pouches or phone lockers. It's time we gave educators the tools they need to put student wellbeing first."

Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were 15 when they lured 16-year-old Brianna to a park in February 2023 and stabbed her 28 times. They had meticulously planned the horror using the Snapchat app. The pair, now 16, were jailed for life four months ago for the “exceptionally brutal” killing.

Mrs Justice Yip, who sentenced them at Crown Court, said Jenkinson, who will serve at least 22 years, was motivated by a “deep desire to kill," while Ratcliffe, who got 20-plus years, was partly spurred by his hostility to Brianna’s transgender identity. Jenkinson was transferred to Birchwood Community High just 10 weeks before Brianna’s murder. She had been excluded from a previous school for giving a pupil gummies laced with cannabis.

The average teen spends 11 hours a day on screens, while 55% of kids aged eight to 11 own a smartphone.