Making the Most of Mornings

Summary

Four schools (Hadleigh Junior School in Essex, Langley Junior School in Devon, Grinling Gibbons Primary School in London and Norton College in North Yorkshire) have had successful Power to Innovate applications to change the times of the school day. This allows teachers more time to prepare for lessons and to discuss new strategies. In the case of Langley Junior School, Hadleigh Junior School and Grinling Gibbons Primary School, it also provides enrichment sessions for pupils.

Hadleigh Junior School, Hadleigh, Essex

Hadleigh trialled a change in the times of the school week in 2004. School started 15 minutes earlier each day, giving three full lessons every morning. Afternoon sessions finished at 3.20 pm every day except Friday when 'formal' school stopped at 2.05 pm.

On Friday afternoons there were voluntary, wide-ranging activities for pupils, such as modern foreign languages, gardening, dancing, cycling profiency, craft and drama. Teachers could use the time on Friday afternoons to plan for the following week, reducing the need for weekend planning and improving their work/life balance.

Literacy and numeracy were taught in the mornings when pupils concentrated better, which should have resulted in the raising of standards. More active subjects were taught in the afternoons, such as DT, science, art and games. These subjects were blocked, allowing improved continuity and progression.

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