MPs to debate petition calling for secondary schools to start at 10am

MPs are set to debate a petition calling for secondary schools to start at 10am, rather than 8:30 or 9:00.

More than 170,000 people have signed the online appeal, with campaigners saying it would boost productivity and help combat exhaustion in teenagers.

But some teachers are warning a change would disrupt children's development and would make day-to-day planning difficult.

Opinions were mixed when we spoke to parents in Manchester City Centre:

"When I went to school it was 9-4 and now everything has changed.

"When I was at school, I lost a lot of sleep worrying about exams and GCSEs so I don't think it's a bad idea at all.

"If you push it back to 10am kids are still going to be going to bed later.

"I don't think you should change anything, keep it at the same time it is now."

Vicki Dawson from the Children's Sleep Charity said later starts are not the answer:

"It's going to have so many different connotations around family life, around teachers working time and children being left alone in the school, unattended, while parents go to work.

" I think there are actually better solutions around offering young people sleep support."

The National Association of Head Teachers is warning it would disrupt daily routines too much.

Andrew Mellor is the Head of the NAHT:

"Bearing parents in mind in all of this, in a practical sense there would be a lot of difficulties in getting children to school for 10am.

"While I welcome the discussion I think there is a debate to be had.

"If we need to have a look at the education system so we can make the most of our education system then it's absolutely something we should be looking at."

In a statement, the Government said it was up to individual schools to set their timetables.