How Teachers Can Support Students During Ramadan

Each year, many Muslim students observe Ramadan while continuing to participate fully in school life. During this period, students may fast during daylight hours, attend additional prayers, and experience changes to their sleep and daily routines.

For teachers, Ramadan can raise practical questions. Should lessons be adapted? Is flexibility appropriate for homework or assessments? How can teachers offer support without making students feel different from their peers?

As a Religious Studies teacher, I’ve supported many students through this holy month and taught thousands about the significance of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. In this guide, I’ll examine how Ramadan may affect students during the school day and share practical strategies to create an inclusive, respectful learning environment while maintaining high standards.

Key Takeaways

• Plan with Ramadan in mind. Small adjustments to routines, lesson pacing and expectations can support students’ wellbeing and learning.

• Think carefully about timing. Energy levels may dip later in the day, so schedule demanding tasks and assessments thoughtfully where possible.

• Keep inclusion normal and respectful. Support students without singling them out, and offer choices that help them participate confidently, including in PE.

• Communicate early and kindly. Simple check-ins with students and clear messages to families help you balance compassion with consistent academic standards.

Understanding Ramadan and Its Impact on Students

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims around the world observe it as a time of spiritual reflection, prayer, charity and community. During this month, many Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. This means that they abstain from food and drink during daylight hours while continuing their normal daily activities.

For Muslim students, Ramadan is often a meaningful and positive experience connected to faith, family and identity. Alongside fasting, students may:

• attend additional evening prayers

• wake early for pre-dawn meals

• spend more time focusing on spiritual practices

Because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, Ramadan moves approximately ten days earlier each year. This means its impact on school routines varies depending on the season and length of daylight hours.

Muslim students observe Ramadan in different ways. Some younger pupils may not fast every day, while others may fast for shorter periods as they gradually build up their experience. Students who are unwell, travelling, or experiencing health difficulties are religiously exempt from fasting.

Fasting may influence students’ physical energy levels and daily concentration patterns. Some students may feel more tired, particularly in the afternoon, while others remain largely unaffected. You may find students experience temporary fatigue, headaches or reduced stamina, especially during longer school days.

At the same time, many students report feeling motivated or emotionally uplifted during Ramadan. 

In all, it’s a deeply significant month in the Islamic calendar, and supporting students during this time is an important part of inclusive practice in school.

Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment During Ramadan

As an educator, you aim to make your classroom a supportive and inclusive place at all times. During Ramadan, that remains just as important.

Here are a few considerations to help Muslim students feel understood without drawing unnecessary attention to their religious observance. Many of these strategies will also benefit the whole class, giving students a chance to understand and support their Muslim friends and classmates.

Educating the Whole Class About Ramadan

It’s important that everyone in the class is aware of Ramadan and its significance. Don’t leave this to Religious Studies lessons. In fact, it doesn’t even need to be a formal lesson. A short explanation during tutor time, assemblies, or relevant curriculum topics, for example, in PSHE, can be enough to build awareness, help prevent misunderstandings and promote respect among students.

Muslim students mustn't be placed in the position of representing or explaining their faith, unless they volunteer to do so. Teachers should provide clear factual information themselves, emphasising that Ramadan is an important time for many Muslims and that classmates may notice changes such as fasting or prayer routines.

Respecting Prayer Times

Some students may wish to complete prayers during the school day, particularly if prayer times fall during lesson or break periods. Schools can support this by identifying an appropriate quiet space where students can pray comfortably and without interruption.

In many schools, these arrangements are coordinated by pastoral teams or senior staff. While you may not need to organise suitable spaces yourself, it helps to be aware of available provisions so that you can respond appropriately when students make requests.

Being Mindful of Food and Drink

Fasting students may still spend time with friends during lunch or break periods, even though they are not eating. You can support inclusion by avoiding unnecessary attention to students who are fasting and by offering alternative locations for them to spend their break time, if needed.

Think about how to approach food-based classroom activities. Food technology teachers will need to consider their practical lessons. Small adjustments, such as allowing students to participate in preparation without tasting the food, can help ensure they remain included without compromising their observance.

It is also worth reviewing any reward systems based on treats or snacks this month.

Adjusting Teaching Practices and Expectations

You don’t have to lower your expectations or change curriculum goals to support students during Ramadan. However, do be aware of the potential need to adjust tasks in response to temporary changes in students’ energy levels at this time.

Scheduling Demanding Tasks Strategically

Many students observing Ramadan experience fluctuating energy levels throughout the day. Their concentration and physical stamina may be stronger earlier in the morning and reduce later in the afternoon, particularly during longer fasting days.

Although these adjustments are not always possible within fixed timetables, where possible, try to schedule the most cognitively demanding activities, assessments or physically intensive tasks earlier in the school day. Group work or independent practice can happen later in the day, when energy levels may be lower.

Providing Flexible Deadlines

Changes to sleep patterns and evening routines during Ramadan can affect students’ capacity to complete homework at their usual pace. Bridgette Barrett, SME’s Geography, History, Religious Studies & Environmental Studies Subject Lead, adopts a thoughtful approach to student workload and deadlines during this period. She says: “I ensure that during Ramadan, homework takes less time and, where possible, move any assessments to before or after Ramadan.”

For students preparing for exams and completing coursework, it’s worth taking the time to discuss workload in advance. Offering some degree of flexibility around deadlines can help your students manage both their academic responsibilities and religious commitments. This may involve short extensions or adjusted submission dates. 

If students are preparing for public exams, you may find the library of revision tips in our Learning Hub helpful.

Modifying PE and Physical Activities

Physical Education lessons often raise questions during Ramadan, particularly because students who are fasting usually do not eat or drink during daylight hours. Guidance from the Association for Physical Education (AfPE) (opens in a new tab) advises that students should normally remain included in PE wherever possible, with appropriate adaptations rather than automatic exemption. 

Careful planning and adaptation can ensure that many students continue to participate successfully. PE teachers can support safe participation by:

• adjusting activity intensity

• increasing rest opportunities

• prioritising skills development, tactics or technique work, rather than sustained high-exertion exercise

• rotating roles more frequently within team activities

• offering alternative roles such as officiating, coaching or performance evaluation 

All of these approaches allow your students to remain engaged in learning while managing their energy levels responsibly.

AfPE guidance places strong emphasis on communication between teachers and students. Discussing participation levels privately allows students to express how they feel physically on a given day and helps teachers make informed professional decisions. 

All decisions about participation should ultimately be based on professional judgement, student wellbeing and normal safeguarding procedures. Schools may find it helpful to review the full AfPE Ramadan guidance (opens in a new tab) for detailed practical advice.

Rethinking Assessment Timing

When Ramadan falls during assessment periods, it is worth pausing to think about how the timing of assessments might affect your students. Because energy levels can dip later in the day, a late-afternoon test or a physically demanding practical task may feel more challenging than usual for some students.

Where you have flexibility, small adjustments can make a real difference. This might mean scheduling demanding assessments earlier in the day, offering a supervised catch-up opportunity, or making reasonable adjustments in line with your school’s existing inclusion practices. Our exam anxiety relief kit may be a useful resource if students are showing signs of stress.

Communication Strategies

Open and respectful communication is one of the most powerful tools you have and one of the best ways to support students observing Ramadan. You cannot anticipate every need, but you can create a safe space where students feel confident approaching you to discuss concerns, knowing you will listen and respond with care.

Speaking with Muslim Students Individually

A brief, private conversation can help you understand how Ramadan may affect a student personally. Experiences vary widely, so open questions allow students to share only what they feel comfortable discussing.

You might simply ask whether there is anything that would help them manage lessons or workload during Ramadan. Keeping the conversation informal and student-led avoids putting pressure on them to explain or defend their religious practice.

It’s also important not to assume who is fasting. Some Muslim students may fast every day, some may fast occasionally, and others may not fast at all. Approaching each student with quiet curiosity and discretion helps them feel supported without being singled out.

Communicating with Families

A short acknowledgement of Ramadan through your usual school communication channels can reassure families that staff are aware of the month and open to partnership. This does not need to be lengthy. A simple message recognising Ramadan and offering support is generally enough.

Clear communication with families can also help manage practical expectations regarding homework, assessments, attendance at evening events, and physical activities. When families know that teachers understand and appreciate the additional commitments students may be balancing, it helps maintain a positive and collaborative home-school relationship.

Working in partnership with families also ensures that any adjustments remain fair, consistent and aligned with your school’s existing safeguarding and inclusion practices.

Supporting Students’ Wellbeing

Many students continue to engage fully in lessons, extracurricular activities and school life, meaning that you may not notice any significant difference at all during Ramadan. However, it’s important to remain alert to any changes in energy levels, concentration or mood, particularly later in the day. 

Supporting wellbeing during Ramadan generally means quiet awareness and pastoral sensitivity rather than intervention. While most students manage fasting successfully, being attentive and approachable means that anyone who needs additional support feels comfortable seeking it.

Recognising Signs of Distress

As you would at any other time of year, it is helpful to remain alert to signs that a student may be feeling unwell. Dizziness, headaches, unusual fatigue or difficulty concentrating may occasionally arise, particularly during longer fasting days.

If a student appears unwell, follow your usual safeguarding and first-aid procedures. Their health and safety should always come first. There is no need to handle situations differently because of Ramadan. Your usual calm, professional response is all that is needed.

It may help to remember that Islamic teaching allows students to break their fast if their health is affected. If this happens, responding sensitively and without drawing attention to the situation can help to protect the student’s dignity.

Providing Quiet Spaces

You can support students by ensuring they know about any quiet or pastoral spaces available during break or lunch times. Some students may appreciate a place to pray, rest, read, or simply take a break from busy dining areas.

Many schools already have suitable wellbeing areas in place. Offering access discreetly allows students to use these spaces when needed, while still feeling part of the wider school community.

Checking In Regularly

Small, low-key check-ins can make a significant difference to students’ sense of belonging. A brief chat at the start or end of a lesson, or a quiet word in passing, shows students that you’re aware and supportive.

Of course, these conversations work best when they feel natural and informal. This is easier when you’ve built a supportive environment where students feel they can approach you with any concern, not just those related to fasting.

Supporting Students During Eid

Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, a joyful religious festival marking the end of the fasting month. For many Muslim families, Eid is a special day centred on communal prayers, time with family, generosity and celebration.

You may receive requests for authorised absence so students can attend Eid prayers or celebrate with their families. Because the exact date depends on the sighting of the moon, confirmation sometimes comes at short notice. Being aware of this uncertainty and responding with understanding, within your school’s attendance procedures, helps families feel respected and supported.

Acknowledging Eid within the school community can also help students feel recognised and included. Offer your students well wishes to mark the happy occasion. Simply say, ‘Eid Mubarak’, which means ‘Have a happy or blessed Eid’.

Recognising Eid during tutor time and allowing students to share their experiences, if they choose, all help affirm the significance of this special festival. 

Resources for Teachers

If you would like to deepen your understanding or review practical guidance, several trusted resources can support you.

• The Muslim Council of Britain (opens in a new tab) publishes an annual Ramadan guide (opens in a new tab). There are plenty of helpful resources on its website, including a Ramadan health guide (opens in a new tab). 

• Wellbeing-focused organisations such as The Children’s Society (opens in a new tab) provide guidance on supporting Muslim pupils (opens in a new tab) pastorally, with practical suggestions for creating inclusive environments and responding sensitively to individual needs. 

• For colleagues teaching Physical Education, the Association for Physical Education (AfPE) (opens in a new tab) offers specific advice on adapting physical activity safely and inclusively during Ramadan.

• You may also find it helpful to draw on your school’s existing Religious Education curriculum materials. The Religious Studies staff can offer support and guidance. 

• Online resources, such as Save My Exams’ Religious Studies revision notes on the practice and significance of fasting during Ramadan, can provide clear, accurate, and age-appropriate information for your students. 

• Local authority inclusion teams often publish additional guidance around attendance, safeguarding and culturally responsive practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can students who are fasting participate in PE lessons?

Yes, many students observing Ramadan continue to take part in PE. However, you may notice that energy levels and stamina vary, particularly later in the day.

You can support safe participation by adapting intensity where needed. This might include reduced-exertion activities, skills-based practice, officiating roles or performance analysis. Involving students in decisions about their level of participation, while using your normal professional judgement and safeguarding procedures, helps ensure lessons remain inclusive and safe.

What do I do if a fasting student appears unwell during class?

As always, a student’s health and safety come first. If a student feels dizzy, faint, or unwell, follow your school’s usual first-aid and safeguarding procedures.

It may help to know that Islamic teaching allows students to break their fast if their health is affected. If this happens, respond calmly and discreetly, avoiding unnecessary attention and prioritising the student’s wellbeing.

How can I explain Ramadan to younger students?

A simple, positive explanation is usually enough. You might explain that Ramadan is a special month when many Muslims focus on kindness, reflection, prayer and helping others. Some people fast during the daytime as part of their religious practice.

Using clear, respectful language helps younger pupils understand that different beliefs and traditions are a normal and valued part of school life.

Can students drink water during Ramadan?

Students who are fasting do not usually eat or drink, including water, between dawn and sunset. However, Islamic teaching allows exemptions for children, those who are unwell, or anyone whose health may be affected.

Because practices vary, avoid assumptions and respond sensitively to each student’s circumstances.

Creating a Supportive School Environment During Ramadan

For many Muslim students, Ramadan is a deeply meaningful time connected to faith, family and personal identity. Supporting students during this time doesn’t require lowering expectations or introducing complex new systems. In most cases, it comes down to awareness, flexibility and respectful communication in your everyday practice.

Small actions can have a lasting impact. Adjusting lesson timing where possible, offering quiet pastoral support, and maintaining open conversations with students and families all help create a school environment where religious observance and academic success sit comfortably alongside one another.

Ultimately, inclusive practice benefits the whole school community. By recognising and respecting important moments in your students’ lives, you help foster belonging, mutual respect and a culture in which every student feels valued. And that’s likely one of the reasons you chose a career in education in the first place.

References:

• Association for Physical Education (opens in a new tab)

• AfPE | Ramadan guidance for PE (opens in a new tab)

• Muslim Council of Britain (opens in a new tab)

• Ramadan Guide 2026 | Muslim Council of Britain (opens in a new tab)

• Ramadan Health Guide 2026 | Muslim Council of Britain (opens in a new tab)

• The Children's Society (opens in a new tab)

• Helping Muslim children during Ramadan (opens in a new tab)