What North East leaders are telling us following new under-16s social media ban announcement
This week, the government announced that social media will be banned for under-16s, describing it as a landmark move to “give kids their childhood back” and “set a new normal for future generations”. Unsurprisingly, this has prompted widespread discussion amongst colleagues in education.
For schools across the North East, this decision sits within a reality that leaders are already grappling with every day. We know that social media is not an emerging issue, but rather a current and significant pressure point shaping behaviour, wellbeing, workload, and safeguarding across schools.
But is a ban the right move forward? We conducted a survey to gather the views of our network, and the findings have since received national media coverage. This included an interview with LBC Radio featuring Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, helping to amplify the concerns raised by schools and demonstrating the strength of feeling across the region.
A consistent and escalating issue in schools
Every school leader who responded to our latest survey rated social media as either a significant or very significant issue in terms of its impact on school life. In fact:
- 58% said it’s significant, meaning it arises regularly in school management
- 33% said it’s very significant, meaning it’s a daily issue affecting behaviour and pastoral work
- 0% said it’s not an issue. Not one respondent.
What schools are describing is a clear collapse of boundaries between online and offline life. Issues that begin on platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram often arrive in school on Monday morning, and it’s already escalated.
Leaders report online bullying and conflict spilling into school settings; pupils arriving tired due to late-night scrolling; significant pastoral time spent resolving online disputes; increasing behavioural incidents linked to online interactions, and pressure from parent WhatsApp groups escalating tensions further.
Several leaders also raised concerns about staff wellbeing, including increased workload and, in some cases, online criticism or hostility originating from parental or community groups. The shocking result is an already-strained system where schools are increasingly absorbing the consequences of online activity that they have limited ability to prevent or influence.
But does a ban go far enough?
There’s broad support among school leaders for stronger national action. In principle, many welcome the intention behind a ban on under-16s using social media, and leaders do recognise that current platforms are highly addictive, inconsistently regulated, and already impacting children’s sleep, wellbeing and behaviour.
However, our schools are also clear that a ban alone will not resolve the issue.
As one Head Teacher noted, the challenge sits across several interconnected areas: platform design, parental responsibility, regulation of tech companies, and pupil wellbeing.
At Schools North East, we support serious and enforceable action to protect children online. However, our network is clear that this must be part of a wider package. For example, technology companies must be held accountable for harmful design features, and parents must be properly supported and equipped to supervise and guide children’s online activity.
Additionally, harmful behaviour by adults online must be addressed as well as behaviour by children. And there must be recognition of the significant safeguarding and pastoral burden already being carried by schools across the region.
There is also a wider reality: restricting pupil access does not eliminate harm entirely. Schools continue to experience issues where parents share content, escalate disputes, or publish allegations online, often before the school week has even begun.
Can it be enforced in practice?
This is where school leaders are most cautious. The most frequently raised concern is not the principle of a ban, but how it would be enforced in reality.
Leaders highlighted several challenges:
- Young people are highly likely to get around restrictions
- Harmful activity may shift to less regulated platforms
- Enforcement risks being informally pushed onto schools
- Parental engagement will be inconsistent across households
The concern is not theoretical. It’s rooted in experience: pupils already navigate multiple platforms and accounts with ease, and online behaviour is rarely confined to one space. Without consistent parental involvement and robust national enforcement mechanisms, schools fear they will once again become the default setting for managing the consequences.
Impact on workload and school capacity
The impact of social media on workload is already significant, so any ban must reduce this pressure rather than add to it. Schools report spending anywhere from one hour to a full working day each week managing issues linked to social media. This includes safeguarding concerns, behaviour incidents, parental complaints, and pastoral interventions.
In a system already under pressure, this represents a substantial drain on leadership and staff capacity. So, while there is cautious optimism that a well-designed ban could reduce this burden over time, leaders are equally clear that poor implementation could make matters worse.
The key concern is that schools may be expected to police or manage aspects of enforcement without additional resources or support. In our engagement, 89% of respondents want more guidance on how any changes would be implemented, and many stressed that clarity and support for parents will be essential.
A proportion of leaders expressed scepticism that there would be no impact at all on workload.
Logging off: What this means for schools
Social media has become one of the most significant and complex issues facing schools across the North East, affecting behaviour, wellbeing, workload and safeguarding. There is clear support from school leaders for stronger national action to protect children. But, there is also a strong message that policy must reflect the complexity of the issue in practice.
A ban may be an important step, but it cannot be the only one.
Without coordinated action across government, technology companies, parents and schools, the pressure will continue to sit disproportionately with education settings.
Schools North East will continue to ensure that the voice and lived reality of North East schools is central to this national conversation as policy develops.