Schools starting late after 1:00 AM England game to 'reduce pressure' for parents

Several primary and secondary schools across England are planning to delay their opening times on Monday morning, allowing students and parents to recover from England's World Cup match against Mexico, which kicks off at 1:00 AM BST. Schools in areas including London, Salford, the Midlands, and County Durham have informed the BBC they will open around 10:00 AM.

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Why wouldn't we want our children to be passionate about supporting their country during the World Cup?

Headteachers believe this later start will alleviate pressure on parents, especially if the match extends to penalties, potentially ending as late as 4:00 AM. Daniel Steventon, headteacher at Hill Avenue Academy in Wolverhampton, which is opening at 10:00 AM, stated, "Why wouldn't we want our children to be passionate about supporting their country during the World Cup?" He added that the later start reduces stress for families after a late-night game.

Steventon noted that his school has adopted a similar policy for all of England's late-night games during the group stages. He feels the approach demonstrates "understanding and flexibility" and has received positive feedback from parents. Kelly Wall, a parent, shared that the late openings have enabled her family to watch matches together, reducing the pressure of getting children to school on time.

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We have told the parents - enjoy the game, as we recognise that a late-night match could leave parents and children tired, making the usual school morning stressful. A later start reduces that pressure.

"We don't want late marks and we don't want absences - he struggles if he's tired and going into school, so it's been really nice for us," Wall said, highlighting the positive impact on her son.

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We've been able to sit and watch it together as a family. We've been able to do it because of these late starts.

Despite the supportive stance of some schools and parents, the government maintains that children should still attend school as usual on Monday. England manager Thomas Tuchel has publicly called for schools to be flexible, suggesting they "let them watch."

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I'm like 'yes, we can watch the football' and there's less pressure then to get them to school for the 8.20am opening. We don't want late marks and we don't want absences - he struggles if he's tired and going into school, so it's been really nice for us.