England and Mexico are to face off in a nail-biting game next week as the World Cup advances to the last 16.
While most of us will be reaching for extra caffeine on Monday morning to watch the 1am kick-off at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, a primary school in England may have found a solution for young football fans to watch the game without foregoing bedtime.
Parents were delighted to see Greenacres Primary School in Shrewsbury say that they will be showing a replay of the match at 9am on Monday morning.
The school posted on their Facebook page: “We understand many of our children will want to enjoy the next World Cup England Match, and that parents may feel how uncertain how to handle the 1am kick off!
“To ensure our children can still share in the excitement of the match while arriving at school refreshed and ready to learn, we will be showing a replay in the school hall Monday 6th July at 9am promptly.”
The school encouraged the children to wear red, white or blue and asked parents to keep the results of the match a secret.
The post has received over 8,000 likes on Facebook, and has been shared over 650 times.
Hundreds of users have commented on the post, praising the school for the “fantastic” initiative. One person commented: “What a great idea. Even if kids stayed up, it’s unlikely they’d stay awake and their routine will be out for days.”
Another parent said: “Well done to the school for trying to resolve the situation and thinking out of the box. And what a lovely memory the kids will have if we win.”
Another said: “They may well know the result but nothing better than watching the game with your friends on mass (sic) - brilliant idea!”
Emily Kynaston, headteacher at Greenacres, told The Independent the initiative has had an “overwhelmingly positive” response and created a “genuine buzz around the school”.
She said: “For us, it's about much more than watching a football match. We don't want our children to lose out on the game or miss school, so we're creatively bringing both worlds together.
“The match will act as the centrepiece of a whole day of learning, with pupils exploring the geography and culture of the competing nations, using match statistics in maths, and producing a range of writing inspired by the game.”
Ms Kynaston added: “If schools can use a moment like this to bring a community together, engage children in learning and create positive memories, then it's well worth considering.”
The school’s move comes after England manager Thomas Tuchel urged parents to let their children stay up and watch the game live. He said: "Write an excuse for school. Let them watch football.
"There's so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. There will be a big, big match on in four days. We need the support of everyone, and especially of the children."
England will take on Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Sunday, 5 July at 6pm local time (Monday, 6 July at 1am BST).
After four matches played in cities across the co-host country, the United States, the England team will now leave the States to play a match in Mexico.
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