In an interesting experiment in the UK, sixth years students in the Hampton Court House School are to have the school hours changed to cater for teenage sleeping patterns. From September next, they will start their day at 1.30pm and finish at 7pm.

The Principal has said that the idea is based on research which indicates that teenagers have a biological predisposition to go to bed later and get up later. By changing their attendance hours, the Principal believes that they can get the students in to an “environment where they can get quality sleep and their bodies are functioning well.” He believes this will improve their cognition and productivity.

The students will additionally benefit from reduced journey times as they will be travelling to and from school outside of the normal rush hour.

The ideas has met with some scepticism from other educational establishments who have raised concerns about how students would then cope with getting up early in later life.

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