Length of the school week - non-statutory guidance

Length of the School

Week

Non-Statutory Guidance

July 2023

Contents

Summary ........................................................................................................................... 3

1. Minimum Length of School Week ............................................................................... 4

Ofsted ......................................................................................................................... 5

The law relating to the school day, school year and term dates ................................. 5

2. Delivering additional time ............................................................................................... 6

Going beyond the minimum 32.5 hour core week .......................................................... 7

Specialist settings ........................................................................................................... 8

3. Practical considerations ................................................................................................. 9

Consultation ................................................................................................................ 9

Transport .................................................................................................................... 9

Staffing ..................................................................................................................... 10

Wraparound provision ............................................................................................... 10

Breaks ...................................................................................................................... 10

Funding ..................................................................................................................... 10

4. Information requirements ............................................................................................. 12

Publication of hours on school websites ................................................................... 12

Data collection .......................................................................................................... 12

Annex A – Further Support .............................................................................................. 13

Summary

This publication provides non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education. It

has been produced to help schools in England that are currently delivering a school week

below 32.5 hours to increase the length of their school week to the minimum expectation

of 32.5 hours that was announced in the Schools White Paper in March 2022, and

replaces the information note that was published at that time. Most schools already

deliver a school week of 32.5 hours or more.

This guidance is based on good practice currently in use in many schools, as exemplified

in the associated case studies.

This is non-statutory guidance, but also includes information on the legal requirements

relating to the school day, school week and term dates.

Expiry or review date

This guidance will be reviewed before June 2025.

Who is this publication for?

This guidance is for:

• School leaders, school staff, trust leaders, trust boards and governing bodies in all

maintained schools, academies, and non-maintained special schools in England

• Local authorities in England

Main points

In March 2022, the Government introduced a non-statutory expectation of a 32.5 hour

minimum core school week by September 2023. In July 2023 the deadline to meet this

expectation was deferred to September 2024 at the latest, in recognition of the pressures

facing schools. This applies to all mainstream, state-funded schools in England. It does

not include pupils in early years settings, 16-19 provision (including school sixth forms) or

specialist settings, such as special schools and alternative provision, but specialist

settings and alternative provision are also encouraged to consider extending their core

week where appropriate.

A core school week is the time from morning registration to the official end of the school

day for all pupils (including breaks). It does not include optional activities, or those that

are only available for some pupils.

1. Minimum Length of School Week

The time pupils spend in school varies across the country

. Over time this difference

accumulates, increasing the disparity between pupils by the time they leave secondary

school.

The Government is determined that all pupils have the opportunity to achieve their full

academic potential. To support this, on 28 March 2022 the Government announced,

through the White Paper Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your

child, a new minimum expectation on the length of the school week of 32.5 hours for all

mainstream, state-funded schools.

Data from July 2021 showed that 80% of secondary schools and 78% of primary schools

were delivering a school week of at least 32 hours, and 16% of secondary schools and

7% of primary schools were delivering 35 hours or more

. Some schools will already

have increased their hours in response to the expectation set in the White Paper. Any

mainstream state-funded school that does not yet meet the minimum expectation of 32.5

hours should be working towards doing so by September 2024 at the latest.

The expectation does not apply to pupils in:

• early years (including in school settings) due to the age of pupils

• 16-19 education (including school sixth forms) due to the variation in their courses

and having different guided learning hours

• specialist settings (special schools and alternative provision), due to the varying

needs of their pupil cohorts and the particular operational challenges they may face.

The 32.5 hour minimum expectation includes the time in each day from the official start of

the school day (i.e. morning registration) to the official end of the compulsory school day

(i.e. official home time). The 32.5 hour minimum includes lunch times and other breaks

as well as teaching time and any enrichment activities that all pupils are expected to

attend. It does not include optional before or after school provision.

All schools should deliver a substantive high-quality morning and afternoon session in

every school day. Some schools may wish to finish earlier on specific days, for example

to allow pupils to attend religious observances. In those circumstances, these schools

should offer longer hours on the remaining days so that they meet the minimum

expectation over the course of the week.

Review of time in school and 16 to 19 settings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

COVID-19 School Snapshot Panel Findings from the July 2021 survey (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Ofsted

The quality of education that schools provide is underpinned by a broad and balanced

curriculum. Effective use of time is a crucial part of delivering this curriculum.

Ofsted already look to see that schools are providing a broad and balanced curriculum

for their pupils, and will inspect all schools by the end of summer 2025. Where it is clear

that increasing the overall time pupils spend in school to at least 32.5 hours per week

would improve the quality of education, inspectors will reflect this in their evaluation of the

school, and in the inspection report. If a school is not meeting the minimum expectation,

and this impacts on the quality of education, inspectors will expect schools to set out a

clear rationale for this and understand what impact it has on the quality of

education. They will also want to understand what plans are in place to meet the

minimum expectation. Ofsted are mindful that some schools will be transitioning towards

meeting the minimum expectation over the period to September 2024.

The law relating to the school day, school year and term dates

The legislation regulating the school day and school year applies to schools maintained

by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority, but not to

academies (other than special academies) or pupil referral units. It requires that:

• Every school must normally have two sessions divided by a break in the middle

of the day. The length of each session, break and the school day is determined

by the school’s governing body

• Employers in maintained schools must set term dates. Maintained school

employers are:

• the local authority in community, voluntary controlled and community special

schools and maintained nursery schools

• the governing body in foundation and voluntary aided schools

Except in the very limited circumstances set out in the Education (School Day and

School Year) (England) Regulations 1999, schools must meet for at least 380 sessions

or 190 days in any school year. In academies, the length of the school day and year is

the responsibility of the Academy Trust as per the Funding Agreement.

The legislation relevant to this section is:

• The Education Act 2002 - section 32

• The Education Act 1996 - section 551(1)

• The Education (School Day and School Year) (England) Regulations 1999

2. Delivering additional time

The length and structure of the school day and week is the responsibility of the governing

body for maintained schools and of trustees for academies. In a multi-academy trust this

may be delegated to a local governing body in accordance with the trust’s scheme of

delegation. Any final decisions about changes to the length of the school week should be

taken in conjunction with the school's senior leadership team.

Schools that are delivering below a 32.5 hour week

Schools that are not yet meeting the minimum expectation of a 32.5 hour week will want

to think about how extra time is used in the context of their school improvement priorities

and in ways that allow practical considerations to be addressed.

Schools planning to increase their hours substantially to reach a 32.5 hour week (i.e. by

30 minutes or more per day) should first consider prioritising an increase to lesson time.

Where schools only need to add a short amount of time (less than 30 minutes per day),

they may want to consider incorporating short activities which meet school priorities into

their timetable, for example daily reading practice. These considerations will be different

for primary and secondary schools, given that primary school timetables may have more

flexibility to add daily blocks of additional time (without affecting the overall timetable).

Secondary schools may want to consider consolidating the additional time needed to

meet a 32.5 hour week into a block of additional time on one or two days of the week.

This approach has the benefit of being able to deliver more substantive additional time in

school, e.g. adding an extra timetabled lesson per week.

Case Studies

• Monega Primary School – Extended the school week to 32.5 hours by having

an earlier start time of 8:30am. This provides pupils with access to 20 minutes a

day of intensive reading development. On a weekly basis, this equates to 1 hour

40 minutes extra reading time for pupils.

• Endike Primary School - Extended the school week from 30 hours to 32.5

hours, which enabled the school to increase teaching time and spend more time

focusing on specific subjects. This was one of the ways in which the school

supported pupils to fill gaps in their education, or in many cases re-learn certain

parts of the curriculum, in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Going beyond the minimum 32.5 hour core week

Schools that already meet the 32.5 hours a week minimum may wish to consider

increasing their school week further to provide additional opportunities for pupils, either

as part of the core week or by providing activities that are optional for pupils. This can be

done in a variety of ways including an increase to the core school day, increased

provision of optional enrichment opportunities at lunch break or after school, tutoring and

targeted support, breakfast clubs or wraparound provision.

Evidence suggests that extending time in school can have a positive impact on pupil

outcomes, so long as the time is used effectively. Studies have focused on using

additional time for academic tasks and found that more time can have significant impact

on pupil attainment

. The Education Endowment Foundation has shown that using

additional time for targeted support and well-structured before and after school

programmes, delivered by trained staff, can also have a positive impact on attainment

High quality extra-curricular provision can complement and reinforce curriculum teaching,

for instance by providing further opportunities to take part in sport and cultural activities.

Personal development opportunities, such as the cadet forces and Duke of Edinburgh

Award, can bring benefits to young people's mental and physical health and wellbeing

and social engagement, supporting efforts to improve attendance, attainment and

behaviour.

When considering extending time beyond the minimum 32.5 hours, schools should look

at how additional time can be used to support school priorities, as well as taking into

account practical considerations, such as funding implications.

Lavy 2020; Kikuchi 2014; Bellei 2009

Extending school time | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

Case Study

Cromer Academy - As part of the strategy to reduce the attainment gap for

disadvantaged pupils, Cromer Academy runs a school day from 8:25am to 3:30pm,

equating to just over 35.5 hours per week. It has a focus on providing as much teacher

contact time with pupils as possible, running 6 lessons, each 55 minutes long, and 30

minutes of form time every day.

Specialist settings

Specialist settings, including special schools and alternative provision, support a wide

range of pupils with diverse needs and therefore currently structure their school week in

more varied ways than mainstream schools. Therefore, the expectation for a minimum

school week of 32.5 hours does not apply to these settings. However, specialist settings

should share the overall ambition to increase the length of the school week, where it is

beneficial for their pupils to do so.

When considering any increase in the length of their school week, leaders of specialist

settings should make an assessment of what is most appropriate for the needs of their

pupils and should take into account operational and financial considerations. For

example, they should consider what can be achieved within the existing budget, transport

considerations given the larger catchment areas, and staffing arrangements (recognising

that these settings tend to utilise higher numbers of staff compared to mainstream

schools).

Special units within mainstream schools, and pupils with SEND in mainstream settings,

should continue to follow the same length of school week as set by the mainstream

school.

Case Study

Mountjoy School - has a school week of almost 33 hours, which allows for

additional activities every day alongside curriculum delivery, e.g. personalised

learning activities, ring-fenced time for pupils to attend to personal care, reflection

time and 10-minute PSHE sessions.

3. Practical considerations

This section brings together common practical considerations that school leaders report

that they need to consider when making any change to school time.

The Government recognises the diversity of schools and the unique challenges they face

and that a one-size fits all approach is not appropriate. The case studies supplementary

to this guidance provide examples of how different schools have approached some of

these considerations.

The bullet points below set out the steps that are recommended for schools to take when

extending their school week:

• Explore practical considerations, including financial implications, and propose

changes to the length of the school week and the use of additional time

• Consult key stakeholders on the proposed changes (including internal and

external staff, parents, carers, pupils, feeder schools and childcare providers)

• Discuss proposed changes to transport with relevant local authorities (ensure

adequate notice so changes can be implemented)

• Consider responses from the consultation and make decisions on any changes

needed to school timetable

• Inform all key stakeholders of intended changes to the school timetable, with

adequate notice

• Publish a new timetable on the school website and implement new timetable

Consultation

When a school decides to make changes to its school week, it is expected that the

school will act reasonably, giving sufficient notice, and consider the impact on those

affected, including pupils, staff, and parents and carers. It is a school's responsibility to

ensure any consultation is fair. For more information on how to run a consultation, please

see: Consultation principles: guidance.

Transport

Local authorities have a statutory duty to make travel arrangements for eligible children in

their area to enable them to travel to school for the beginning of the school day and to

return home at the end of the school day.

Where schools propose changes to the school day or week which may affect existing

school transport arrangements, they should consult any relevant local authorities in

advance of any proposed change, and work with them to minimise any unintended

consequences or costs for school transport. Any changes to transport arrangements may

require the local authority to re-negotiate existing contracts with transport operators, or

tender for new ones. The local authority may also wish to discuss alternative

arrangements that minimise additional costs but still ensure that a school can meet its

objectives, so engaging with them as early as possible will allow for changes to be made

in time for the implementation of the new school timetable.

Staffing

When making changes to the length of the core school week, schools should consult and

inform staff with adequate notice. This includes all staff who will be affected by any

change, for example sport coaches, wraparound care providers and peripatetic music

teachers. Schools may need to review and amend the contracts of some staff, especially

those paid on an hourly basis.

Maintained schools must have regard to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions

Document. In particular, teachers in maintained schools can only be directed by the head

teacher for a maximum of 1,265 hours per year. Any additional teacher time needed to

deliver a longer school week will need to be incorporated into a school’s directed time

allocations. The limit on directed hours does not apply to academies and free schools,

but these schools will also want to take account of teacher contracts and the impact on

teacher workload.

Wraparound provision

Before-school and after-school clubs (wraparound childcare) play an integral role in

supporting the enrichment and wellbeing of children and young people and meeting the

childcare needs of parents and carers.

We advise schools that are considering increasing their hours to engage with any

external wraparound providers before doing so, to consider how this provision may be

used to complement additional hours, and to ensure that sufficient wraparound provision

remains available to parents who need childcare.

Breaks

The 32.5 hour minimum core school week is inclusive of breaks as these form an

important part of time in school for pupils, allowing opportunities for social interaction,

physical activity, and enrichment activities. However, when schools increase their hours

to meet the minimum 32.5 hour week, they should first consider prioritising lesson time

above breaks. Any increases to breaks should be proportionate and bring value to the

school week, for example by providing opportunities for sport and other enrichment

activities.

Funding

The minimum expected school week of 32.5 hours is the weekly average (as at July

2021) for mainstream schools and most schools already deliver a school week of at least

this length. We therefore expect mainstream primary and secondary schools that are not

currently delivering this minimum, to do so by September 2024 at the latest from within

their existing budgets.

We do not expect mainstream schools or special schools to propose changes to their

pupils’ education, health, and care (EHC) plans, or to seek extra high needs funding from

the relevant local authority, as a means to enhance their hours of operation.

Annex A lists links to the school resource management collection and to further support

available.

4. Information requirements

Publication of hours on school websites

Most schools already publish their opening and closing times on their website. All schools

should do this and they should also publish the total weekly hours. Publication of school

hours should present the compulsory time a school is open from the official start of the

school day (i.e. morning registration) to the official end to the compulsory school day (i.e.

official home time) including breaks, but not optional before or after school activities. This

consistent definition will be helpful, particularly to parents and carers when comparing the

opening times of different schools.

Data collection

DfE now collects data on the total compulsory time pupils spend in school in a week, as

part of the school census. Schools are expected, as part of the spring census collection,

to enter their typical total, compulsory school week for pupils. This data will be used to

identify schools that are not yet meeting the minimum weekly expectation so that they

can be offered support. More information and guidance can be found here: Complete the

school census - Guidance.

Annex A – Further Support

Support

Notes

School resource management - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This collection includes ways of

saving money on procurement,

estates, recruitment, training.

Integrated curriculum and financial planning (ICFP) - GOV.UK

(www.gov.uk)

Encourages schools to

integrate their curriculum and

financial planning to inform

decision making on the

deployment of teaching staff.

Education Endowment Foundation | EEF

An independent charity and

What Works Centre dedicated

to breaking the link between

educational achievement and

family income, supporting

schools and other settings to

use evidence to improve

teaching and learning.

School Resource Management Advisers (SRMAs).

These sector experts work with

schools and trusts to provide

tailored advice on how to make

best use of their revenue and

capital resources to deliver

educational outcomes.

The financial benchmarking service

Allows schools to compare their

performance and use of

resources with other, similar

schools.

Buying for schools - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Get help buying for schools - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Resources for buying goods

and services, and finding DfE-

recommended suppliers

School workload reduction toolkit - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Education staff wellbeing charter - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Resources for reducing school

workload and improving well-

being

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