Protected time: how 90 minutes boosts pupil success

In education, it’s easy to focus on what needs to be done, but how often do we stop to ask the most important question: why?

Simon Sinek’s concept of the Golden Circle reminds us that understanding why drives genuine commitment. Yet, in the fast pace of school life, this step is often overlooked. We see a successful idea implemented elsewhere, adopt it, and hope it sticks—only to be disappointed when it doesn’t.

At Westerings Primary Academy, I’ve realised that meaningful change isn’t about the latest strategy; it’s about ensuring the people driving that change believe in its purpose. Therefore, when I shared research with staff showing that teacher-led interventions have significant impact on learning outcomes, I didn’t just hand them the evidence and move on. Instead, I asked, “What can we do about this?”

Their response was immediate and inspiring. Staff began delivering teacher-led interventions, in the time immediately before or after school to work directly with their pupils. The results were promising—higher-attaining pupils thrived with the additional support, securing greater depth in their learning. 

But this early success also highlighted a deeper issue: The pupils who benefited most had parents able to adjust their schedules—bringing them in early or collecting them late. What about the pupils without that flexibility? Those from disadvantaged backgrounds who needed the most support but faced the biggest barriers?

That question changed everything.

Introducing 90-4-490

This year, we are tackling this challenge head-on with 90-4-490, an initiative designed to align with Lift Schools’ mission: by 2028, 90% of pupils will become secure readers, achieve the expected standard in phonics and key stage 2, and attain grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSE.

The approach is simple yet transformative: allocate teachers 90 minutes of protected time each week, during the school day, to focus on four of the greatest levers to raising achievement in schools:

1. Interventions: Supporting pupils through pre-teaching, addressing misconceptions, or catching up missed learning.

2. Parental engagement: Building relationships with families to tackle barriers like attendance, behaviour, or home support.

3. Subject leadership: Planning, observing, and refining curriculum areas to ensure consistently high-quality teaching.

4. Professional development: Coaching, peer observation, or self-study—all during working hours.

   
   

Protecting 90 minutes every week for each teacher is no small feat. To ensure it’s meaningful, every session is covered by a qualified teacher—not teaching assistants nor temporary staff. This safeguards continuity in the classroom while truly freeing teachers to focus on these priorities.

Clear expectations are essential. This is not extra planning time! Nor is it an opportunity to catch up on marking; it is time specifically reserved for activities that directly impact pupil outcomes. To keep the process light-touch but effective, teachers use a simple tracker to record how they use their time. These trackers are not about monitoring for the sake of monitoring —it’s about ensuring this protected time truly delivers value. I regularly, and informally, meet with teachers to hear first-hand the impact of their additional time, and reflect on ways that we can improve or shape our new initiative to drive further gains.

Although we’ve just begun, the benefits are already becoming clear. One Year 4 teacher, for example, is using some of her additional 90 minutes to pre-teach key concepts to a small group of pupils. She’s developed bespoke resources, such as visual aids and word maps, which these pupils now bring into lessons. Their confidence has soared—they’re not just keeping up but excelling alongside their peers.

Teachers also feel empowered to focus on their subject leadership and professional growth, with time built into the working day rather than intruding on evenings or weekends. This balance is helping teachers lead with clarity, plan enrichment activities, and develop their practice in ways that directly benefit pupils.

Protecting this time hasn’t come without challenges. Budget constraints and staffing pressures continually require us to make tough choices. For example, instead of replacing a departing learning support assistant, we redirected those funds to increase qualified teacher hours or redeployed senior leaders.

Budgets are tight. Schools face constant pressure to do more… with less. Protecting 90-4-490 requires constant vigilance—unexpected absences or disruptions can derail plans. But we’ve committed to making this a priority because we’ve already seen what’s possible when teachers are given the time they need. While quantitative results will take time to surface, the qualitative impact is already evident: pupils are more engaged, parents are more involved, and teachers feel valued and supported.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Other schools might adapt the model to their context, perhaps running shorter intervention slots or combining time for subject leadership and professional development on a different schedule. What matters is not replicating 90-4-490 exactly but understanding its principles and tailoring them to what works best locally.

But making this initiative work is about much more than logistics—it’s a cultural shift. It signals trust in teachers, respect for their expertise, and a belief in their ability to make a difference. 

When we start with the why, we create the foundation for sustainable, meaningful change. 90-4-490 is already making that change possible—not because it’s perfect, but because it’s rooted in purpose. That purpose is ensuring every child has the chance to succeed, regardless of their background.