Today [Thursday 9 December] the Welsh Government have announced a trial to provide pupils with extra school hours this academic year.
Commenting on the extended school time trial, Luke Sibieta, Research Fellow at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said:
“There is strong evidence from across the world that more time in school can boost academic attainment if changes are implemented well and integrated into the normal school day. Equally, there are cases where extended school hours have been implemented badly, with low attendance and no benefits.
“Establishing a trial in Wales to see how extended school hours could work in practice is the right approach. It will allow us to learn about the merits of different approaches led by schools, the resources required and any barriers to good implementation. If successful, there could be significant benefits, including helping disadvantaged pupils to catch up on their educational progress and providing more time for the arts and sports.”
EPI Research Note: ‘Reviewing the evidence on extending school time‘ (September 2021)
