Schools across England and Wales are being urged to consider trialling a four-day working week in a radical bid to address a deepening crisis in teacher recruitment and retention.
Campaign for a Modern School Week
The push is being led by the 4 Day Week Foundation, which has written directly to the Education Secretary and the Labour government. The campaign argues that moving to a condensed timetable is not about reducing education quality, but about working smarter to protect staff wellbeing and improve outcomes for pupils.
James Reeves, the foundation's campaign manager, stated that teachers are "burning out at unprecedented rates." He emphasised that a four-day model allows for more focused planning and collaboration time, potentially leading to better teaching during contact hours with students.
Flexibility Versus Government Guidance
This call for innovation comes despite existing government guidance for England, which states that all state-funded schools should be open to pupils for five full days each week. However, campaigners point out that headteachers legally have the autonomy to explore new working arrangements without needing explicit government permission.
"Headteachers don't need government permission to explore new working arrangements," said Reeves. "Legally, they have the flexibility to proceed. We must find solutions to the recruitment and retention crisis so young people can have some stability in their schools."
Addressing the Retention Crisis
The campaign highlights the severe workload burden on teachers as a key driver of the staffing crisis. The proposed controlled trials would aim to demonstrate whether a shorter week can:
- Boost teacher wellbeing and mental health.
- Improve retention rates, keeping experienced staff in the profession.
- Make teaching more attractive to new recruits.
This aligns with previous comments from Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who stressed the importance of offering teachers flexible working opportunities, as seen in some academy schools, without reducing pupil contact time.
In response, a Department for Education spokesperson noted that the last year saw one of the lowest teacher leaving rates since 2010. They added: "We support schools in offering their staff flexible working while ensuring every child receives brilliant teaching for the full school week. That's why we are funding a programme to embed flexible working within schools and expand these opportunities."
The debate now centres on whether empowering schools to trial a four-day week could be the bold, evidence-based solution needed to create a more sustainable education system for the future.
