Teachers could squeeze their full-time hours into four days and see salary caps lifted under government plans

Proposals for relaxing the 195-day teaching year have landed on Education Secretary Lucy Powell's desk. Under the plans, teachers at council-run schools could compress their 1,265 contracted hours into a reduced number of working days. Schools would still be required to remain open five days a week, with certain teachers rostered to cover the fifth day. Ms Powell acknowledged uncertainty over whether the change would be workable for every school.

Ms Powell outlined the proposals in an open letter to School Teachers' Review Body chairman Mike Aldred.

Academies can already offer flexible hours but must stick to the 195-day framework.

Ministers may scrap the pay ceiling to keep experienced staff in classrooms.