Multi‐Stakeholder Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers to Later Morning Start Times for Senior High School Students in Aotearoa New Zealand

Later school start times for senior high school students could improve health and wellbeing by better aligning with adolescent sleep biology, which shifts sleep later. This study explored perceived facilitators and barriers to implementing later starts in Aotearoa New Zealand. Nine semi‐structured focus groups (students, parents, and teachers) and 14 one‐on‐one interviews (relevant stakeholders) explored adolescent sleep, wellbeing, and facilitators and barriers to later school starts. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Three broad themes were identified under school organisational structures, support services, and wellbeing. Potential facilitators were leveraging: the benefits of local governance in decision‐making processes, flexible timetabling, taking transport out of peak hours, and positive experiences of others, in addition to later school seen as beneficial for broader wellbeing and raising sleep health awareness. Barriers included concerns that school self‐governance and flexible timetabling could hinder rather than support change, increase pressure on transport and school resources, and negatively affect student, family, and teacher wellbeing, as well as family connectedness. The findings highlight both opportunities and challenges in implementing later school start times with guidance for schools to co‐design approaches that are effective, equitable, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities.