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Some schools in England are letting pupils start later on Monday after Euro 2020 final

"If they can have a fantastic memory of the night, that’s the important thing."

Emily Sergeant - 9th July 2021

Schools right across England have decided to let pupils start school a little later following the Euro 2020 final.

With Gareth’s Southgate’s Three Lions squad having triumphantly defeated Denmark 2-1 to advance to the final of European football’s flagship tournament, all eyes of all ages are set to be on Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

This could truly be a moment remembered history.

The match is set to kick off at 8pm, and it’s thought that play could be taken all the way up to 11:15pm at the latest should it go to extra time and penalties – and that’s before the celebrations commence.

Understandably, for many of the youngest football fans, this could be quite the late night.

So it’s a good job that local schools in the North West and across the country have decided to make things a little easier by allowing pupils staying up to watch the match come into school later the next morning.

Headteachers have been offering kids the optional start time of 10.30am, with some adding that they would rather have a late start “than an absence”.

Pupils at Alexandra Park Primary School in Edgeley, Stockport are just one of the local institutions that have been told they can head into school at 10.30am on Monday to allow them to can properly enjoy Sunday night’s match.

Headteacher Phil Brooke said it’s been a tough year for pupils, parents and teachers, adding: “My thinking is just that I want the children to have a great night and not have to worry about school in the morning,”

“If they can have a fantastic memory of the night, that’s the important thing,” he told the MEN.

Coates Lane Primary School in Barnoldswick, Lancashire is also giving parents the option to let kids come in at 10.30am, announcing on Facebook that: “We would rather have children rested and in school ready to learn rather than absent all day or grumpy.”

Gisburn Road Community Primary School, also in Barnoldswick, has too given the green light for a lie-in, and thanked a now-viral decision by Rossmere Primary School in Hartlepool for the idea.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Rossmere Primary School told parents the Euro 2020 final was one of “national pride” and the “job of schools is to give children the best experiences possible”, adding: “It’s 55 years since England reached a major football final so let them watch, talk about the importance of the National Anthem, talk about pride and resilience and possibly disappointment.

“This is a learning opportunity.”

The school will still open at 8.40am on Monday morning – but those arriving up to 10.30am will not be marked as late or miss lessons.

It is expected that many other schools across the country will adopt a similar approach.

The decision taken by such schools to allow pupils to come in at a later time on Monday morning comes after an online petition calling for an extra Bank Holiday in the event that England clinch the Euro 2020 victory has seen over 100,000 people put their names to it.

When asked about the prospect yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ruled out the idea saying: “I think that would be tempting fate – let’s see what happens.”

He urged the nation to support the Three Lions “enthusiastically, but in a responsible way”.

Many businesses have also offered workers a late start or the whole day off, so that football fans can nurse their hangovers – with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) saying that the game would be a “historic moment” for the country.

“Bosses should talk to their staff about flexible working arrangements ahead of Monday morning – perhaps allowing them to start later and claim back their time afterwards.” said Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s General Secretary.

“Many of them will want to watch the match, and they should be able to – either at work or by finishing early and making up the time,” she concluded.

Featured Image – Instagram (@england)