Scunthorpe head says extending school day needs adequate funding

Headteacher Ryan Hibbard expressed concerns about the funding for any extension to the school day

Extending the school day would require adequate funding, the headteacher of the school attended by the children's commissioner has said.

Ryan Hibbard, from St Bede's in Scunthorpe, was responding to Dame Rachel de Souza's recommendation for schools to remain open for longer.

Dame Rachel said the move would help address issues around the cost and availability of childcare.

The government said it would "carefully consider" her recommendations.

Mr Hibbard said he also had reservations around the impact a longer school day would have on pupils' mental health.

"Children are in school for about 32-and-a-half hours a week already, that's about equivalent to what most of us would work," he said.

"So to extend the school day we also have to think about the implications on the mental health of all the children."

Dame Rachel de Souza said the cost of living and childcare were the biggest issues raised by parents

In a report, Vision for Childcare, Dame Rachel wrote that extended hours would be the "most straightforward approach to making childcare manageable and affordable, so children can be cared for on school premises".

She said she had spoken to hundreds of parents and the biggest two issues they raised were the cost of living and childcare.

"The problem with childcare, the biggest gap is with older children who are school-age children, is that schools start and stop at different times to the times they work."

She pointed out many schools already had breakfast and after-school clubs and she was not talking about teachers working longer hours.

"With the right funding streams this is really doable and far more doable than having outside school childcare," she said.

Dame Rachel de Souza attended St Bede's as a student

Students at St Bede's were divided on the issue.

Alice thought it was "babysitting" and would remove the "professional educational side" of school.

Her fellow student Julia was also concerned about the possible impact on pupils' mental health.

"I think an extended school day would just create more pressure," she said.

Another pupil, Lexi, thought it might work for younger children.

"It might be better if they do stay in school because they are in an environment that they know and they like with all their friends."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We will carefully consider the commissioner's recommendations as we explore a wide range of options to make childcare more accessible and affordable for parents."