Petition · past parliament · Department for Education
Require all schools to have at least 75 minutes of break time a day
Closed
107 signatures
What the petition asks
Given the current mental health crisis suffered by young people and in the aftermath of COVID, which affected many children's mental health and social development, we want the Government to require all primary and secondary schools to have at least 75 minutes of break time a day.
In 2019 research found that a quarter of secondary schools now have lunch breaks of 35 minutes or less, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for a Fit and Healthy Childhood recommended that the Government require every primary school to provide a minimum of 75 minutes of actual play activity (separate from eating/queuing times) every day.
We believe current break times in many schools are insufficient to even get and eat food, and break times are about more than just eating. They are a time to decompress, to move about and to have meaningful social interactions, activities which are crucial to development and physical/mental health.
We believe current break times in many schools are insufficient to even get and eat food, and break times are about more than just eating. They are a time to decompress, to move about and to have meaningful social interactions, activities which are crucial to development and physical/mental health.
Timeline
| 5 Jun 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 5 Dec 2023 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
107
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Education
Opened
5 Jun 2023
Closed
5 Dec 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.