When are schools reopening?

AFTER months of working from kitchen tables, kids are finally returning to schools.

From today kids across England are return to their classrooms, while elsewhere in the UK a staggered approach is being taken.

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When will schools reopen in the UK?

England: From March 8

Boris Johnson announced that schools would reopen in England to all kids on March 8.

The PM's roadmap out of lockdown begins with schools returning, followed by grassroots sports resuming at the end of March, and non-essential retail reopening.

All primary and secondary schools in England reopened from Monday, March 8.

However, secondary schools could stagger the return to enable testing of pupils for Covid.

The PM told the Daily Telegraph that even though it was "only a small relaxation of the rules", this week's changes would bring "joy and relief" to families after months of "tough restrictions".

When asked on March 7 about the risks involved with reopening more than 20,000 schools, he echoed the warnings of education experts that more damage was being done to pupils by keeping them at home than having them return to in-person lessons.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said he was looking at proposals that included a five-term academic year, a shorter summer holiday and longer school days to help pupils catch up on lost learning during the pandemic in "transformative" measures not seen since the Second World War.

Scotland: More to return from March 15

Children in primaries one to three are back in Scottish schools along with some senior secondary pupils who need to do practical work for qualifications.

All kids under school age in early learning and childcare have also returned.

Senior secondary pupils will need to stick to two-metre social distancing within schools and on school buses, while Covid-19 testing will be made available to them and teachers.

All remaining primary school children are set to return to school full-time from March 15, with all secondary pupils returning on a part-time basis from that date.

Regulated childcare, including breakfast and after-school clubs, for primary pupils also re-starts from March 15 as part of the Phase 2 return.

From March 15, all secondary pupils will receive both high quality remote learning and some in-school teaching.

Councils will decide how to safely balance in-school learning based on local circumstances and needs.

Wales: More to return from March 15

Children aged between three and seven began returning to primary schools from February 22.

But from March 15, all remaining primary school children can return to learning onsite.

Secondary school pupils in years 11 and 13 are also set to be back in classrooms by this date.

And those taking exams in years 10 and 12 can also return on March 15.

Pupils in years 7, 8 and 9 are set to have "check in" sessions before Easter and are due to return fully from mid-April.

"We have signalled that it is our intention to enable all learners to be back learning on-site after Easter," says the Welsh government.

Northern Ireland: March 8

In Northern Ireland, kids in primary one to primary three, aged from four to seven, along with those in nursery and pre-school returned to class from Monday March 8.

The Stormont executive agreed to prolong the country's current lockdown to April 1, with a review of the measures expected on March 18.

Only vulnerable children and those of key workers have been in classrooms since January.

On March 22, secondary pupils in key exam years – year groups 12 to 14 – will return to school.

It is understood P1-P3 pupils will revert to remote learning for a week on that date – for the week prior to the Easter holidays – to minimise the impact on infection rates of years 12-14 returning.

No decisions have been taken on whether other year groups will return to class after the Easter holidays.

How can I find out when my child's school is reopening?

The best way to find out when your child's school is reopening is by direct contact with the school and regular checks on the school's website.

Your local council can also be a good source of information as it will likely know whether a school in its jurisdiction is set to reopen.

Local media such as newspapers and notices can also be of use.

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