Euro 2020: Schools Open Late on Monday

Headteachers at schools up and down the country are giving teachers and students a lie-in on Monday morning to allow everyone to watch the final of Euro 2020.

Schools are joining businesses across the UK in opening later than usual on Monday; many parents have received messages from their school today announcing that registration will be open until 10.30am. Schools will still open at the usual time but any students arriving up until 10.30am will not be marked as late on the register or miss lessons.

While many independent schools have finished for this academic year, there are still some and the majority of state schools that do not break for the summer holidays until next week or later.

This Facebook post by Fordley Primary School in Northumberland is typical of many messages being posted by schools today:

"It is utterly fantastic that England have reached the final of Euro 2020 on Sunday. No doubt many of you will be watching it and cheering our team on. We will all be hoping that ‘football is coming home’.  

So we will keep our registers open until 10:30am. School will be open at normal times for all children but no child will get a late mark if they are in by 10:30."

England has made it through to the final of the European Championship for the first time in its history; kick off is at 8pm on Sunday and they play Italy. 

There are mounting calls for an extra summer bank holiday if England wins the cup so that everyone in the country can celebrate their victory. More than 300,000 people have signed a petition requesting a national holiday.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said:

“I don’t want to pre-empt the outcome of Sunday’s match. Clearly we want England to go all the way and win the final, and then we will set out our plans in due course.

“We will hopefully, when England go on to win, then go on to set out our plans.”