Prince William’s inner circle is quietly reshaping the school day and this time, it’s starting in Cheshire.
The Duke of Westminster has stepped in with a significant personal contribution to support a bold move to limit children’s phone use in classrooms.
Hugh Grosvenor, one of Britain’s richest landowners and godfather of Prince George, has donated £250,000 to help fund the county-wide rollout of phone-free teaching in Cheshire public schools.
This initiative will allow every public secondary school in the county to introduce secure, lockable phone pouches.
His involvement followed meetings with pupils and staff at Birchwood Community High School in Warrington, where he saw first-hand the difference the pouches had made.
The school was attended by Brianna Ghey, whose murder shocked the nation and sparked renewed scrutiny of children’s exposure to harmful online material.
The issue also resonates strongly with Prince William, who has spoken openly about limiting screen time at home.
Prince William has confirmed that George, Charlotte and Louis do not yet have cell phones.
Speaking about his decision, the Duke said the evidence from schools already using the pouches is hard to ignore.
Teachers report quieter classrooms, better concentration and fewer incidents of safeguarding, while students benefit from time away from online notifications and pressures.
