School reopenings quick guide: What you need to know

Here’s a quick guide to everything you need to know from Boris Johnson’s announcement on school reopenings.

• All schools will return on 8 March
• Further education settings will also return from 8 March.
• Secondary school students and college staff will be tested twice a week for Covid as part of testing plans
• Boris Johnson said the plans to get schools back on March 8 are supported by the chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser
• Nothing was said on plans for primary pupils to be tested 
• Breakfast and after-school clubs can reopen
• Sports and other school activities can also return 
• Secondary school students must wear masks in the classroom
• Here’s how Covid testing will work in colleges
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer issued calls once again for teachers to be vaccinated as a priority - a point ignored by the prime minister
• The NEU teaching union has questioned why the schools reopening plan doesn’t include ‘Nightingale classrooms’ - extra space to allow for smaller classes

We’ll be updating this article as more information comes to light