School days should be extended as part of changes to school hours being mooted to help parents deal with the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Longer school hours could slash childcare costs with Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza suggesting the change is necessary amid rising everyday costs including soaring energy bills and food costs.

She said extended schools hours is the “most straightforward approach” to help struggling parents across the country.

“The most straightforward approach to making childcare manageable and affordable is by providing an extended school day, so children can be cared for on school premises,” she said.

“It will mean doing much more than tinkering around the edges.”

Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “Over recent days, we have seen a whole range of seemingly random, ill-thought-out and in many cases completely unworkable proposals for early years reform from government.

“As such, we share the children’s commissioner’s view that what both the sector and families need is a long-term, ambitious vision for childcare and early education in this country, and not more tinkering around the edges.”

In response, a Department for Education spokesperson said: “We will carefully consider the commissioner’s recommendations as we explore a wide range of options to make childcare more accessible and affordable for parents.”