A blanket ban on mobile phones at all schools in England is expected to be announced by the Government this week.
Although many schools nationwide already have their own measures in place, according to reports in several major media outlets – including BBC News, Sky News, The Guardian, and more – Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is pushing for a move to issue a ‘blanket ban’ on mobile phone usage at all schools in England.
If the ban is successfully introduced, it’s believed that under the new Government guidance, head teachers will be told to prevent all pupils from using mobile phones during the entire school day.
The Department for Education wants the devices banned on breaks too, as well as in class time.
While the Education Secretary appears to be adamant that the ban on the devices is a necessary one, reports are indicating, however, that it will be just guidance and would not actually be enforceable by law, which means the final call will be left up to individual schools to decide on their policy and how they’ll implemented.
Image: Gov.uk
It’s also unclear at this stage when the guidance will be published, if approved and introduced, according to Sky News.
Reports on the ban of mobile phones today come after the Government estimated back in 2018 that 95% of schools in England have already imposed restrictions, and also come after both former Schools Minister Nick Gibb, and former Education Secretary Gavin Willamson saying they favoured similar restrictions back in in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Despite this, however, the Education Department said back in 2022 that blanket national rules were not actually needed, as the majority of schools nationwide were already taking action.
This is likely why some eyebrows at Gillian Keegan’s plans today have been raised.
Dr Patrick Roach, who is the general secretary of teaching union NASUWT, said the Government needs to “focus on properly supporting the work of teachers and headteachers”, rather than announcements “designed to detract attention from more than a decade of policy failure”.
Similarly, the general secretary of the National Education Union, Daniel Kebede, said he hopes the Education Secretary will use her Conference speech today to “announce positive measures that face up to the deep challenges in our schools” instead of “distracting attention from them”.
Leeds United fans looking for a crisp pre-match pint, you're in luck.
Why? Because new data has revealed Leeds United as one of the Premier League clubs offering the cheapest pints in their stadium
And it's all down to credit card provider Zable, who analysed the average price of a pint at every Premier League stadium.
You'll be glad to know that Leeds United ranked a very respectable eighth among the Premier League teams with the cheapest pre-match pints, with fans paying an average £5.60 at Elland Road.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
However, supporters can currently get a cheaper drink at pubs around the stadium, where the average pint costs £4.74.
Ipswich Town have the cheapest pint at £3.50, followed by Coventry at £3.60 and Hull City at £3.90.
The top 10 cheapest stadium match day pints:
Ipswich (£3.50)
Coventry (£3.60)
Hull City (£3.90)
Liverpool (£4.80)
Sunderland (£5.00)
Everton (£5.50)
Newcastle United (£5.60)
Leeds United (£5.60)
Bournemouth (£5.60)
Brighton & Hove Albion (£5.80)
Adam McAllister at Zable says: "For many fans, grabbing a pint before kick-off is part and parcel of the matchday experience, but our research shows that where you choose to drink can make a noticeable difference to the price. While stadium pints are often assumed to be more expensive, that's not always the case.
"With the cost of attending football continuing to add up, from tickets and travel to food and drinks, small differences like these can make a real impact on the overall cost of a matchday. Taking a little time to compare prices before heading to the stadium this season could help fans make their money go further, whether they choose to have a pint at the pub or inside the ground."
Leeds Bradford Airport workers to strike over half term, as industrial action escalates in dispute over pay
Clementine Hall
Strikes by almost 130 workers at Leeds Bradford Airport are set to escalate.
If you're planning on catching a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport, then you may want to double check the date.
Last week it was announced that workers were set to strike and bring the airport to complete standstill in a dispute over pay.
Today it has been announced that thestrikes are set to escalate and a second set of strikes have been announced.
The Unite members planning on going on strike are a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute have recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is wrong that workers at Leeds Bradford Airport are paid far less than those doing the same job at another nearby airport.
"These are essential workers who play a vital role in ensuring the smooth running of the airport and the safety of passengers and deserve fair pay. Unite will always fully back our members taking action at Leeds Bradford Airport.”
The original strikes were due to take place from 03:00 this Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for hourly paid staff and from 06:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for air traffic control workers.
The next round of industrial action will now take place from Monday 23 October to Wednesday 2 November, which coincides with the busy half term period.
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said: “We appreciate those travelling to and from Leeds Bradford Airport will be concerned to hear that there are further strike dates, but the situation is completely the fault of the airport’s management. It can end this dispute, but that relies on it coming back to the table with a fair deal for our members.”
Emily Sergeant -
4th October 2023 
