Researchers are set to examine whether delaying the start of the school day could benefit pupils’ school work and mental health.

Experts from the universities of Birmingham, Oxford and Aberdeen are recruiting schools to take part in a study, which will look at teenagers’ sleep patterns and test whether a later school start time could help them.

Professor Paul Montgomery, lead researcher from the University of Birmingham, said: “We want people to be aware that sleep deprivation in adolescents is a real problem which affects their functioning, their wellbeing and even their academic performance.

“We want to work with schools, with parents, pupils, teachers, headteachers, support staff, local education authorities and civil servants to run a number of studies to find out what the ideal starting time is, and how schools can manage this.”

Changes to school transport

The sleep study will focus on GCSE students in years 10 and 11, and the researchers are recruiting between 15 to 20 secondary schools across the UK to take part. Participation could involve changes to school transport and lunchtimes, Prof Montgomery told Tes.

The researchers also want to test whether delaying the start of the school day causes pupils any harm, so will look at whether A&E attendances rise for the schools involved.

Previous research has suggested that starting school later does not necessarily help teenagers to get the rest they need. Instead, it suggested that teenagers’ sleep patterns benefit from dimmed lights and darkness at night.

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