Children's Play: School Day
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Centre for Young Lives report, entitled Everything to Play For, published in June 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of decline in the duration of free playtime during school breaktimes on children's (a) development and (b) wellbeing.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department supports active lunch and break times, and government guidance sets a minimum school week of 32.5 hours, inclusive of breaks, to allow time for play.
The early years foundation stage framework is clear that play is essential for learning and development, with schools and providers responsible for ensuring the school day includes opportunities for social interaction, physical activity and enrichment.
The department also values understanding pupils’ school experience and has recently committed to publishing annual data on, amongst other things, pupils’ sense of belonging, enjoyment and safety at school. In 2026, we will also publish a national best practice framework to support pupil engagement, offering guidance and case studies for schools.
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