Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the effect on children’s (a) wellbeing and (b) development of changes in the time available for break-time over the last 20 years.

The Government has no plans to assess the impact of any changes in the length of school break times. Schools have the autonomy to make decisions about the structure and duration of their school day to suit their own circumstances. However, the Department is clear that pupils should be given an appropriate break and expects school leaders to make sure this happens.

The Government recognises the importance of physical activity in schools to improve physical and mental wellbeing and support attainment. The Department’s childhood obesity strategy reflects the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines that primary age children should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day and the aim that 30 minutes of that should be during the school day.