The Government is considering paying teachers to add an extra 30 minutes to the school day in England under leaked proposals to help pupils overcome a year of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A plan drawn up by Sir Kevan Collins, the government’s education recovery commissioner, seeks to establish a minimum 35-hour week and add 100 hours of additional schooling compared with existing timetables in many state schools and colleges.

The details come from a 56-page document reported by the Times newspaper, which said Boris Johnson had been briefed on the plan. The proposals are also expected to include further individual or small-group tutoring for five million students and professional development for teachers.

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The government has been working on a promised “catch-up” plan for schools and colleges, expected to be published before the summer holidays, but the rumoured £15bn price tag – £700 per pupil over three years – is said to have run into opposition from the Treasury and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak.

Funding the package will hinge on support from No 10 but it adds to the battles the Department for Education (DfE) faces before the autumn spending review, as it is already seeking additional funding for the government’s lifetime skills guarantee as well as an £11bn bill for school and college repairs identified in a report published last week.

Advertisement The government is also keen to set a target for recruiting and training new teachers before the end of the parliament, as part of the education recovery plan.