School introduces 'no mornings' policy for tired teenagers

A private school has become the first in the country to delay lessons until the afternoon to enable teenagers to get a lie-in.

Hampton Court House in Surrey will introduce a new timetable – running lessons from 1.30pm until 7pm – for all sixth-formers from September.

The school insisted the move was made in response to research that found teenagers had a “biological disposition to going to bed late and struggling to get up early”.

Guy Holloway, the headmaster, denied that sixth-formers were “lazy” and insisted the change would enable them to “make the most of their time” in classes every day.

A number of schools have already given pupils a mid-morning starting time but Hampton Court House is believed to be first to push lessons back to the afternoon.

Mr Holloway said: “As I drove to school this morning, I saw a whole line of teenagers with bleary eyes, staggering like zombies along the pavement to another school.

“We've all seen it and, for some reason, we've all put up with it. Then we wonder why teenagers are prone to being grouchy and uncommunicative.”

He added: “There is now more and more scientific evidence to support what many parents and teachers have known for years.

“The fact is that many teenagers do not sleep sufficiently during the week and this can, and often does, have a significant impact on teenage cognition and mental and physical health generally.”

The Hugh Christie Technology College in Tonbridge, Kent, introduced an 11.30am start three days a week start for all pupils aged over 14 and Monkseaton High School, North Tyneside, moved its 9am start to 10am.

Both schools say the later start has boosted pupils’ concentration levels and raised exam performance.

But Hampton Court House, a day school, which charges up to £15,591-a-year, is believed to be the first to operate a “no mornings” rule for pupils aged 16-to-18.

The move will coincide with the opening of the school’s sixth-form in September – the first time it has accommodated older pupils.

The Good Schools Guide describes Hampton Court House as the “ideal place to grow and learn for those who will thrive on the relaxed and civilised values of the place”, adding: “Hitherto seen as a refuge for those who couldn’t get on elsewhere – sometimes the obstructive or wayward – but this is likely to change now.”

Mr Holloway said the change to afternoon starts for sixth-formers would enable them to avoid rush hour traffic on the way to and from school.

He said: “Teenagers are not lazy. It's rare that I meet a teenager who is not full of hope and excitement about the future, so why do we berate them when they struggle to get up in the morning, in an attempt to override their circadian rhythms?

“No wonder too many older adolescents and those in their early 20s are reliant on coffee, and prone to sleep disorders and depression.”

He added: “So far there has been great support for the idea amongst our parent body, and especially from prospective parents, and for us this is the main thing.”

Dr Paul Kelley, from the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, at Oxford University, said: "You can't train your system to get up at a practical time. It's biological, just as your heartbeat, your liver function and a bunch of other things that all sync to natural biological time and that is not in your control.

"Anything you do to change the rhythmic systems of your body means your organs become desynchronised with each other and this is where people get ill and there is no fixing it by giving someone an alarm clock.

"Your body is not watching your wristwatch."