Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of schools that offer a 32.5 hour week.

The department’s review of time in schools found that the average mainstream school day is 6 hours and 30 minutes, which equates to a 32.5 hour week. The review is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-time-in-school-and-16-to-19-settings. This data draws on the COVID-19 School Snapshot Panel Findings from the July 2021 survey, which found that 14% of schools reported delivering a school week of less than 32 hours, available to view here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1027725/School_Snapshot_Panel_July_Wave_Report.pdf.

On 28 March 2022, the government announced in the Schools White Paper, 'Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child', an expectation that all state-funded mainstream schools should deliver a school week of at least 32.5 hours by September 2023. The White Paper is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child. More information can be found in the information note that was published alongside the White Paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/length-of-the-school-week-minimum-expectation.