Closed petition Review school start times in line with the needs of adolescents

Closed on 20 October 2022

The Government should commission research and an independent review of school start times, and the impact of these on student performance, to inform a decision about whether to prevent schools from starting before a certain time, if this is necessary to meet the needs of adolescent students.

Many teens are sleep deprived. Pubescent teen’s circadian rhythms shift later, and most teens need 8-10 hrs of sleep; With average secondary start times being before 9am, many teens struggle to get 8 hours of sleep.

Research into the impact of school start times on student performance, and a review of current start times, would enable the Government to mandate start times that meet the needs of adolescent students.