Don’t make teenagers read too early

Too early in the morning, that is. Research has shown that the teenage brain doesn’t wake up till 9-10am (tell us something we don’t know!) – and finally there’s a school in the UK which is hoping that exam results will improve since they decided to start a bit later. The UCL Academy in London starts at 10am and school’s not out till 5.30, but already they’re getting positive feedback from their pupils, and attendance and punctuality are excellent (according to the head). They are being supported (and closely monitored) by researchers at University College, London. Apparently the teenage ‘time-shift’ lasts till about the age of 21, but till then, they’re likely to be able to concentrate better, read better, learn better and get better exam results if they’re allowed to get that bit of extra sleep in the morning.