Multiple primary and secondary schools across the United Kingdom have announced delayed opening times on Monday, July 6, 2026, following England's late-night World Cup match against Mexico.
The game kicks off at 1:00 a. m.
BST.
Institutions in London, Salford, the Midlands, County Durham, and East Yorkshire are pushing registration times back to as late as 11:25 a.
m. The move aims to accommodate families who plan to watch the match together.
Tuchel Encourages Late-Night Viewing
England head coach Thomas Tuchel sparked the discussion during a press conference by publicly supporting late-night viewing for young fans.
"Write an excuse for school and let them watch football," Tuchel said.
The manager emphasized the rarity of the tournament. "Come on, there's so much school to go to, but we'll have this every four years.
Let them watch. There will be a big, big match," he added.
Tuchel reiterated the need for public support. "We need the support of everyone and especially of the children," he said.
Government Response: Schools Should Stay Open
Government officials responded directly to Tuchel's statements, maintaining that classrooms should remain populated on Monday morning. "It is up to parents to make their own decisions.
We want everyone to enjoy the game but children should be at school on Monday," a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said.
The spokesperson noted that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced the same scheduling conflict.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson clarified that the central government would not issue mandatory directives but urged parents to maintain regular attendance.
"Please let's try and get our kids in on the Monday, too," she said.
Education Minister Jacqui Smith warned against the long-term impact of missing classroom hours.
"I don't want to be a killjoy, but I'll tell you what the biggest killjoy is – young people who don't have the learning to be able to go on and do what they need to do in life," she said during an LBC interview.
Smith suggested strategic rest over the weekend.
"I'll be having a little disco nap in the afternoon and I'll be celebrating our victory the next morning when I go into work," she said.
School Leaders Support Flexible Schedules
School leaders who modified their schedules argued the strategy reduces morning stress for families while preventing unauthorized absences.
"Why wouldn't we want our children to be passionate about supporting their country during the World Cup?" said Daniel Steventon, headteacher at Hill Avenue Academy in Wolverhampton.
Steventon confirmed that teachers would still report at normal hours to assist early arrivals.
"We have told the parents - enjoy the game, as we recognise that a late-night match could leave parents and children tired, making the usual school morning stressful," he said.
In Stanley, County Durham, Annfield Plain Infant School announced their scheduling changes via social media with a reference to the national squad.
"Mr Tuchel gave us a call to make an attendance request for Monday 6 July. He then put big Harry Kane on the phone, we couldn't say no...
It's coming home!" the school said.
Kevin Rowlands, headteacher at Winterton Community Academy, acknowledged the reality of diminished student stamina.
"We're already fighting a losing battle if we're just trying to maintain usual expectations," he said.
Rowlands stated that staff prepared to manage varied student reactions depending on the tournament outcome. "We've just taken a flexible approach and said to our students that...
the expectation's to arrive as normal. However, equally, [there's] some flexibility.
If you are a little bit later, as long as you're still able to attend school, then all's good with us," he said.
The academy leader concluded that providing the opportunity to witness the match outweighed structural rigidity.
"I'm confident that, win or lose, they'll appreciate they've had the opportunity to watch it," he said.
Parent Reactions
Local mother Kelly Wall expressed gratitude for the operational changes, noting that her young son had become highly engaged with the tournament.
"We've been able to sit and watch it together as a family," she said.
Wall explained that the adjustability allowed her full-time working household to manage the event safely. "We've been able to do it because of these late starts," she said.
The parent described how school-led initiatives generated enthusiasm inside the home.
"We're not a sporty family but because there's such a buzz and a hype around it at school, my little boy has been coming home saying 'can we watch the football'...
he's brought into the house," she said.
Wall noted that the 10:00 a. m.
adjustment alleviated anxiety regarding formal attendance records.
"I'm like 'yes, we can watch the football' and there's less pressure then to get them to school for the 8.20am opening.
We don't want late marks or absences - he struggles if he's tired and going into school, so it's been really nice for us," she said.
