Schools in England are being asked to ensure their timetable amounts to 32.5 hours per week by 2023.
The UK Government has released a report published in full on Monday (March 28) detailing the new school week must run for at least 32-and-a-half hours in time for the academic year commencing in September 2023. A new timeframe for the school day has been suggested as 8.45am to 3.15pm Monday to Friday.
Data from a July 2021 Government survey revealed some 70 per cent of schools are already open between 32 and 35 hours a week across England in years 3 to 9, with a further 9 per cent open for longer. A child with a school day shorter by 20 minutes a day would lose two weeks of schooling over the course of a year, the Government has argued.
Also read: Schools told the learning week must become at least 32.5 hours long in England
Education unions have said the new condition would make very little impact as most schools already met the threshold. With all schools being impacted by the new education measure, we want to know what people in Bristol think about the extension. While some schools in the city area already impose a 32.5-hour week or more, others will have to work towards restructuring.
Perhaps you think it will allow children to catch up on studies post-pandemic or maybe you think it will put too much strain on young people. Let us know your thoughts in our survey below.
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Other measures being brought in according to the report include Ofsted inspections in every school by 2025 and £100 million to put the Education Endowment Foundation on a long-term footing. By 2030 all children will benefit from being taught in a school in, or in the process of joining, a strong multi-academy trust.
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi is also due to set out the Government's review of the support available for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Mr Zahawi has said the Schools White Paper aims to ensure that the education system works “for every child wherever they are” and sets an “ambitious target” for schools. Speaking on Sky News, he said: “I hope we can complete the journey, which is what my White Paper does, of a family of schools.
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“All the evidence suggests that schools that work together in a family of schools that’s tightly managed, really well supported, strong – and I underline strong – high-performing multi-academy trust, deliver better outcomes for the children. I’m very fond of talking about my background of being the 11-year-old who couldn’t speak a word of English but with parents who had the wherewithal to push me, and look where I am today.
Labour shadow education secretary Bridget Philipson said after two years of "pandemic chaos" and six years since the government's previous schools strategy, the plans would leave parents, carers, teachers and pupils asking "where the ambition for children's future is".
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We are unconvinced by the benefits of introducing a minimum expectation on the length of the school week of 32.5 hours.” He said that the vast majority of schools already met this expectation or came “very close” to meeting it, and that it was important to understand the factors that might lead to a shorter week in some schools.
“For example, it may be the case in some rural schools that start and finish times are affected by transport arrangements,” he said. “Adding time on to the school week may sound straightforward, but there are many issues which need to be considered in individual schools, and we would encourage the government not to rush any changes.”
