Key Points
- Cumberland Community School in Newham, East London, imposed a social media and smartphone ban during GCSE preparation.
- The initiative began in 2023, encouraging pupils to delete TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.
- Some students voluntarily surrendered their phones completely to avoid distraction.
- The school’s GCSE results now exceed national averages, with 62% of students achieving Grade 5 or above in English and Maths.
- This marks a 16-point rise compared to England’s national average.
- Headteacher Ekhlas Rahman credited the improvement to student focus and staff effort.
- Ofcom data shows 90% of 11-year-olds in the UK own smartphones, raising concerns about digital distraction.
- The experiment has reignited national debate on smartphones’ role in education and student wellbeing.
A struggling East London secondary school’s bold move to tackle the growing influence of smartphones among pupils has paid off. Cumberland Community School in Newham, once described as “failing,” has seen a remarkable turnaround in academic performance after launching a voluntary smartphone and social media ban during GCSE preparation periods.
As reported by Jake Ryan of the Daily Mail (2025), teachers at the inner-city academy persuaded nearly half their students in 2023 to delete popular apps such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram in the run-up to their exams. A number of students went further, surrendering their phones to staff to ensure complete focus on revision.
According to data shared by the school this week, the results of that effort have exceeded expectations. The school’s Progress 8 score—the government’s key measure for tracking pupil advancement—has jumped by a grade and a quarter, placing it among the most improved schools in the country.
Why did Cumberland Community School ban smartphones?
The decision came amid growing concern about the impact of digital distraction on academic concentration. As noted by Anna Davis of the Evening Standard, teachers observed that many pupils were struggling to maintain study habits due to excessive time on social media platforms.
Headteacher Ekhlas Rahman explained to the Daily Mail that the initiative was born out of necessity:
“The social media ban was a game changer for us because all of a sudden our students were 100 percent focused on revising for their exams. The 2023 cohort that stuck to it throughout the revision and exam period did significantly better than they were predicted.”
Encouraged by that success, the same approach was repeated for the 2024 and 2025 GCSE groups, becoming a core feature of the school’s academic culture. Under Rahman’s leadership, Cumberland adopted an incentive-based approach where students voluntarily committed to cutting digital distractions in exchange for structured revision sessions and mentoring support.
How have the results changed since the smartphone ban?
As revealed by school data cited by The Telegraph’s Education Correspondent Ben Ellery (2025), Cumberland Community School’s GCSE results have now soared beyond national benchmarks. Sixty-two percent of pupils achieved at least a Grade 5 in both English and maths—an achievement 16 points higher than England’s average.
Rahman attributed the consistent improvement not only to the ban itself but to the “renewed sense of academic focus and belonging” it instilled among pupils.
“Huge credit goes to our staff and students who have put so much effort into this sustained improvement,”
she added.
This shift has positioned Cumberland as a case study in the link between digital habits and educational outcomes, with Department for Education officials reportedly monitoring the school’s success as part of a wider review into smartphone policies across English schools.
What do students and parents think of the phone-free policy?
Interviews conducted by Sky News Education Editor Laura Bundock (2025) capture a mixed but mostly positive reaction from students and parents. Many initially resisted the initiative, describing it as “unrealistic.” However, after results day, that perception seemed to change.
One Year 11 student told Sky News:
“At first I hated it. But after a few weeks, I realised I was sleeping better, and I actually liked revising without my phone buzzing every few minutes.”
Another student added that being “offline together” helped their group “talk more and support each other through exam stress.”
Parents, too, reported visible benefits. A mother of a Year 10 pupil said via Sky News’ coverage,
“It reminded my child that school comes first and that social media will always be there.”
What does research say about smartphones and academic focus?
The change at Cumberland comes as growing evidence links excessive screen time to academic underperformance and mental health strain. Ofcom’s 2024 “Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes” report revealed that 90% of 11-year-olds in the UK already own a smartphone, and 99% of children are online regularly—raising growing concern about digital overexposure.
Educational psychologists cited by BBC News Education Correspondent Hazel Shearing (2025) warn that constant access to social media can fragment attention spans and affect sleep, both of which directly influence academic results.
Dr. Anna Freud Centre’s adolescent psychologist, Dr. Fiona Parnell, speaking to the BBC, remarked:
“What we’re seeing at Cumberland supports a wider truth—reducing phone time doesn’t just give pupils more time to revise; it helps their brains recover from overstimulation.”
Could Cumberland’s approach inspire national policy?
Following Cumberland’s success, several other schools—such as Brampton Manor Academy in East Ham and Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney—are reportedly considering similar digital detox measures during exam seasons.
As reported by The Guardian’s Sally Weale, the Department for Education has encouraged schools to review smartphone policies, noting that Cumberland’s model “demonstrates the potential of community-led interventions to boost academic outcomes.”
In October, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan reaffirmed the government’s stance against unrestricted smartphone use in classrooms, telling MPs:
“We must protect children’s ability to learn in an environment free from distraction. Cumberland’s story proves how small behavioural nudges can produce extraordinary results.”
What’s next for Cumberland Community School?
Cumberland’s leadership team has announced plans to formalise its “Focus First” programme, designed to keep students connected to healthy study habits beyond GCSEs. Assistant Headteacher Amir Hassan, quoted by The Times’ Education Reporter Nicola Woolcock (2025), said:
“We’re now working on embedding digital discipline across all year groups, not through punishment, but through trust and awareness.”
The school is also collaborating with the University of East London to collect longitudinal data measuring the long-term effects of reduced smartphone use on student outcomes.
Rahman emphasised that the initiative was never about banning technology altogether but about cultivating balance.
“Our students live in a digital world, and we’re not asking them to disconnect permanently,”
she told The Times.
“We’re asking them to learn how to control it—rather than letting it control them.”
How has the community reacted to the success story?
Local leaders and parents have praised the turnaround as a triumph of collective discipline and ambitious leadership. Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz, speaking to The Independent’s Education Reporter Samuel Lovett (2025), congratulated the school:
“Cumberland has proven that by believing in its students and community, it’s possible to break cycles of underachievement.”
Community groups have also expressed interest in supporting after-school digital awareness workshops, hoping to extend the benefits beyond exam season.
Could this change the way schools handle smartphones nationwide?
Experts believe that Cumberland’s results could trigger a wave of evidence-driven policy changes. Dr. Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, told The Telegraph:
“Cumberland’s evidence reminds us that technology must serve education, not disrupt it. We need strategies focused on digital balance rather than blanket bans.”
While opinions remain divided, the debate has sparked a national conversation on the role of mobile technology in learning environments—one that policymakers, parents, and teachers will likely continue to examine closely in the coming years.
