The Prime Minister is due to announce plans for the next stage after lockdown measures in a briefing on Sunday, including plans for how schools can extend their opening.
There has been increasing speculation about how and when schools will return, with no dates having been officially announced. Last week Education Secretary Gavin Williamson revealed that any return to school would be a phased one, while Dominic Raab indicated that there would be a second spike if all schools were to ‘reopen’.
This suggestion that some schools and year groups would return before others seems the most likely course of action with reports that Year 6 pupils will be the first to return, as soon as 1st June, with Years 10 and 12 as the next priority group due to their exams.
Meanwhile, teaching unions have warned against a premature return, while many in the sector are concerned about the ability to socially distance students. There is also a question around whether, even if schools were to open to more pupils, parents would take up this opportunity. A recent Parentkind survey showed a very mixed set of results around when parents would feel comfortable with their children returning to school, but with 25% indicating September.
