As schools in England prepare to re-open their doors to students on Monday, predictably the Government is considering how to help pupils in England catch up on lost learning.  There is talk of longer school days and shorter school holidays.   As an educator working in an International School our model already has a school day running from 8.15 am – 4.30 pm.  Students are also required to work 1 term break a school year and participate in work experience for 1 week of their Summer term.  Such a model is workable when you are dealing with 14 – 19 year olds, but in my experience could present considerable challenges for our younger and more vulnerable students.  Tiredness, poor concentration and learning fatigue are just some of the many issues, which may arise from such changes.  Both my parenting and pedagogy are centred around education of the whole child and the IB learner profile traits such as caring, open-mindedness, risk takers and principled are embedded within everything I do. I would argue that as parents we endeavour to instil such principles into our children everyday of their lives through lived experiences. COVID has afforded parents the opportunity to give their children the gift of time. Perhaps rather than focus on what learning has been lost we should be focusing on what learning has been gained.