Nation of the United Kingdom · UK & Ireland
England: cyberbullying law for schools
Bottom line for counselors: Schools must have anti-bullying rules, and those rules cover online bullying. A regulator can order harmful posts taken down. Serious online abuse can be a crime.
Last verified: checked against official sources on 11 November 2026.
Nation of the United Kingdom
England
New 29 June 2026: England makes its school phone guidance statutory
Anti-bullying measures required by law; phones restricted from September 2026.
Compare with anywhere elseProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Yes:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
Yes. By law, every school must include measures to prevent all forms of bullying in its behaviour policy.
Legal detail and sources
Education and Inspections Act 2006 s89 (maintained schools); independent school standards cover academies.
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. Head teachers can act on bullying that happens off site, including online.
Legal detail and sources
Education and Inspections Act 2006 s89(5) lets schools regulate pupils' conduct outside school to a reasonable extent.
- Set nationally:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Yes. Ofcom enforces the Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to protect children from harmful content.
Legal detail and sources
Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom's Protection of Children Codes took effect 25 July 2025. Ofcom regulates platforms' systems; it does not take down individual posts on request, so families report to the platform first.
- Partly:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No ban. Children can consent to data use by apps from age 13; platforms must keep children away from harmful content.
Legal detail and sources
UK data protection law (Data Protection Act 2018 s9) sets the digital age of consent at 13. Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must use effective age checks to stop children seeing the most harmful content.
- Yes:
What are the rules on phones at school?
Schools must restrict phones for the whole school day: statutory guidance from 1 September 2026.
Legal detail and sources
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 s36 made the mobile phones guidance statutory from 29 June 2026; schools follow it from 1 September 2026.
- Yes:
When is online abuse a crime?
Sending threats, knowingly false harmful messages, or grossly offensive messages can be a crime.
Legal detail and sources
Online Safety Act 2023 created new offences from 31 January 2024: false communications (s179) and threatening communications (s181, up to 5 years). Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988 still cover grossly offensive messages. Some offences apply differently in Scotland.
- Yes:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Yes. Department for Education guidance on preventing and tackling bullying and on cyberbullying.
Legal detail and sources
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