Later School Start Time?

Primary SchoolAdvancedPersuasive Writing

The Prompt

Imagine you have a chance to make a real difference at school! Some people believe that school should start a little later in the morning, so students can get more sleep and feel less rushed. Do you agree with this idea, or do you think our current school start time is perfect?

Your task is to write a persuasive letter – this means a letter where you try to convince someone to agree with your point of view – to your school's Parent-Teacher Association (that's a group of parents and teachers who help make important decisions).

In your letter, you need to argue strongly for or against a later start time. Make sure you think about:

Student well-being: How would more sleep (or keeping the current time) affect how pupils feel, their energy levels, and their mood throughout the day?
Academic performance: How would it impact how well pupils concentrate in lessons, understand new topics, and do their schoolwork?

Use your best persuasive words and strong reasons to make the PTA understand why your idea is the best for everyone!

💡 Writing Tips

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Start by clearly stating if you think school should start later or stay the same.
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Give two or three strong reasons for your opinion. Think about how it would help pupils feel better or learn more.
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Use persuasive words like 'important', 'definitely', 'crucial', or 'I believe' to convince your reader.
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Remember to write it like a letter to the 'Parent-Teacher Association' and sign your name at the end.

📝 Sample Answer

Dear Parent-Teacher Association, I am writing to you today to strongly suggest that our school should consider a later start time in the mornings. I believe this change would be incredibly beneficial for all students. Firstly, getting more sleep is absolutely crucial for our well-being. Many of us struggle to wake up early, especially after a busy day of learning and activities. If school started later, even by half an hour, we would feel more rested and ready to learn. This would mean fewer grumpy faces and more energetic children in class! Secondly, a later start time would definitely improve our academic performance. When we are tired, it's really hard to concentrate in lessons, understand new topics, and remember what we've learned. With enough sleep, our brains would be much sharper, helping us to focus better, ask more questions, and do our best work. This would lead to better learning for everyone. I truly hope you will consider this important change for the benefit of all students at our school. Yours sincerely, [Your Name] Year 6 Pupil

Did You Know?

You can use the atoply app to practise this prompt and get instant feedback to help improve your writing skills.

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