Plans to make all schools in England stay open for longer have been pushed back a year.

In March 2022 the government announced in a white paper that it expected both primary and secondary schools to offer a 32.5 hour week from this September – which equates to six and a half hours each day on average.

But as staff prepare for the end of the school year, the Department for Education has suddenly announced that ‘in recognition of the pressure’ schools are under leaders will now have until September 2024 to instead implement the change.

It is not clear how many state schools in England the new rules affect – with estimations suggesting that more than half of all primary and secondary schools already offer a six and a half hour day.

A further 40% of primaries and more than 30% of secondary schools are also thought to already open for between six hours and fifteen minutes and six and a half hours – meaning that only small amendments may be required to timetables for many.

While the government says it hopes those schools already prepared to implement the change from this September continue to do so anyway - it confirmed its final deadline has been rethought.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: “As part of our ambition to give every pupil the opportunity to succeed, we announced an expectation for all mainstream state-funded schools to deliver at least a 32.5-hour week by September 2023 in the Schools White Paper.

“Whilst the majority of schools are already delivering this commitment, schools will now have until September 2024 to meet this expectation.”

The 32.5 hour minimum week will include breaks – but the DfE has said schools who need to lengthen their school day should ‘first consider prioritising lesson time above breaks’ when increasing hours.

The guidance explains: “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.”

Those schools who need to extend their week have also been advised to speak to parents, transport companies and consider ‘any financial implications’ before settling on new opening and closing times.

However this week’s announcement that the deadline has been reassessed at the end of the school term has angered union leaders already concerned about the changes.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the government had been forced to delay due to its own ‘dithering’.

He added: “This is yet another example of the lack of respect schools have, sadly, come to expect in the government’s dealings with them.”