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Cuts to break time harming pupils says UCL report


School break times are shorter than two decades ago, meaning children are missing out on opportunities to make friends, socialise and exercise, research by University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Education suggests. The findings also indicate that children are now are half as likely to meet up with friends in person as in 2006.


Comparing data from 1,133 primary and secondary schools in 2017 with data collected in 2006 and 1995, researchers looked at how school breaks and young people’s social lives have changed. At Key Stage 1 (aged five to seven) children now have 45 minutes less break time per week than children of the same age in 1995.And pupils at Key Stage 3 and 4 (aged 11 to 16) have 65 minutes less, according to the research.


Lead author Dr Ed Baines, of the UCL Institute of Education, said: “Despite the length of the school day remaining much the same, break times are being squeezed even further, with potential serious implications for children’s well- being and development. “Not only are break times an opportunity for children to get physical exercise – an issue of particular concern given the rise in obesity, but they provide valuable time to make friends and to develop important social skills – experiences that are not necessarily learned or taught in formal lessons.” Researchers found there has been an almost “virtual elimination” of afternoon


breaks, with only 15% of children in Key Stage 2 and just over half (54%) of Key Stage 1 pupils having an afternoon break. In 1995, 13% of secondary schools reported an afternoon break period. Now only 1% of secondary schools report having one.


Lunch breaks have also reduced, with three in 10 secondary schools reporting lunch breaks of less than 55 minutes in 1995. The Nuffield Foundation-funded study suggests that figure has now increased to 82%, with a quarter of secondary schools reporting lunch breaks of 35 minutes or less.


Dr Baines added: “Whereas, at one time, afternoon breaks were a daily experience for nearly all primary school


children, now they are increasingly a thing of the past. And there has also been a decline in lunch breaks, which is of particular concern. Children barely have enough time to queue up and to eat their lunch, let alone have time for other things like socialising, physical exercise, or exploring self-chosen activities.” Co-author Professor Peter Blatchford said: “We believe that schools should carefully consider the time available for breaks and refrain from cutting them further.


“Policy-makers should also consider legislating for time for pupils to have adequate breaks – whereas working adults, including teachers have a right to breaks, there is no equivalent policy for pupils.”


Scottish nursery building rate ‘too slow to hit targets’


The Scottish Government is falling behind in its goal of building and expanding 750 nurseries for the expansion of funded childcare. Young People Minister Maree Todd said that 97 nurseries have been built, expanded and refurbished since August 2017 to support the expansion of the 1,140 hours being introduced from 2020. This represents just 13 per cent of the nurseries needed to achieve the


Scottish Government’s target of 750 by the end of 2021, despite capital funding of £476m over four years provided to councils by the Scottish Government to support associated building projects.


Of the 97 nurseries, 72 are completed refurbishments, 12 completed extensions and 13 completed new builds. According to the Scottish Conservatives, if the current rate of


progress is maintained, the government could fall short by around 500 nurseries. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “These figures only capture the very early phase of the expansion and exclude the many hundreds of projects now either under way or at an advanced stage of development. We are therefore very confident that councils will comfortably meet the pledge of around 750 new or refurbished nurseries.”


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