Euro 2020: Final to lead to shorter school days for some in England

Thousands of schoolchildren will be given extra time on Monday morning to wake up

Thousands of schoolchildren will be allowed to arrive later on Monday so they can watch the Euro 2020 final.

Ahead of an anticipated late night on Sunday, some schools will allow pupils more time in bed to recover.

Caroline Reed, headteacher of Rossmere Primary School in Hartlepool, did not want worries about an early start to dampen their enjoyment of the game.

The school also said it noticed more absences than normal after England's extra-time win against Denmark.

Caroline Reed said that although children arrived on Thursday "really excited" some were "really tired"

Mrs Reed said she wanted to give families the chance to "watch the match without worrying about an early start in the morning, and to encourage children to attend school, even if they get there a little bit late".

Pupils will still be able to arrive to school at their normal time - but others will not be marked late if they arrive by 10:30 BST.

Perhaps the last time schools were affected by England's men's football team was back in June 2002, when thousands of children watched the quarter-final loss against Brazil in their classrooms.

The game kicked off at 07:30 - so some schools allowed pupils to watch the match from home or arrive early to watch it in full.

England's quarter-final against Brazil in 2002 caused some disruption to schools - but England (and David Beckham's) joy was short-lived

Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said she hopes all schoolchildren get a full day at school on Monday.

"If a school starts a bit later and finishes a bit later then that's something they are absolutely entitled to do if it works for their parent group," she said.

"But at the end of the day, I don't want to see children missing out on education. Let's hope we can enjoy a great football game on Sunday without losing children's education in the process."

Howden Junior School in Goole, East Yorkshire, told children and parents that later arrivals will be accepted because Sunday will be a "night when many of you will be glued to the TV - if not hiding behind cushions".

Teachers hope children will be "ready to learn" once the final is over on Monday

In a statement on Friday, it said: "We recognise that national events like this do not come around often (sadly) and are the making of memories which can last a lifetime."

Hannah Forder-Ball, headteacher at St Frideswide Primary School, in Oxford, said allowing children to arrive later on Monday would mean they would be "ready to learn" after the excitement of Euro 2020 draws to a close.

"The children are confident in and hugely proud of the England team and we support them in wanting to watch the game", she said.

The headteacher of Grovelands Community Primary School in Hailsham, East Sussex, is also allowing children later starts.

Jon Goulding told parents he would prefer to have "your child in school rested and ready to learn rather than absent for the whole day".

Sam Aiston, now a headteacher in Shropshire, played in the Football League for several clubs

Sam Aiston, a former footballer for a handful of clubs including Shrewsbury Town, Northampton and Sunderland, is now a headteacher in Broseley, Shropshire.

He told parents on Broseley CE Primary School's Facebook page that they "may have noticed that England have reached a major final for the first time in 55 years".

Mr Aiston said that "children (and parents)" choosing to come into school later will be able to have a bit longer in bed, with the hope they "won't be tired and emotional throughout the day". That might depend on the result...