MPs to debate 10am start for secondary schools

MPs are set to debate a petition calling for seconday schools to start at 10:00am.

An online petition, which attracted more than 176,000 signatures, will be debated in Parliament on Monday 11 February.

It reads: "Teenagers are so tired due to having to wake up very early to get to school.

"The government should require secondary schools to start later, which will lead to increased productivity at school."

In 2014, UK scientists found that starting school at 10:00 could have huge benefits for teenagers. Research suggested that adolescents have a 'late-running biological rhythm'.

Professor Francesco Cappuccio, a professor of cardiovascular medicine and epidemiology at the University of Warwick Medical School, said the "delayed-phase clock" meant teenagers tended to wake up later in the morning and go to bed later. This usually disappears as they grow older.

Professor Cappuccio explained in 2014: "This is one of the reasons why often some individuals, when forced to perform against their biological clock, may find it difficult. Thids could lead to bad performance or behaviour, with even some long-term consequences."