Schools reopen with kids in masks and teachers checking temps – but 1 million kept home

PRIMARY school kids donned masks and had their temperatures checked as they headed back to school today - but one million students have been kept home by worried parents.

Kids in reception, year 1 and year 6 returned to class this morning for the first time since schools were closed more than two months ago.

⚠️ Read our UK schools reopening live blog for the latest news & updates

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While ministers have insisted the time is right to ease the lockdown, almost half of parents are expected to not send their kids to class today.

According to the National Foundation for Educational Research, heads in England are expecting nearly half (46%) of families to keep their children at home.

This means that of the more than 2 million students in reception, year 1 and year 6 classes, about 1 million are likely to stay at home.

But students were pictured smiling as they headed back to school - delighted to see their school pals after ten weeks apart.

How school will be different:

• Parents will be discouraged to gather at the school gates
• Classes will be halved to 15 students to help social distancing
• The Department of Education has also recommended that schools bring in one-way systems in corridors
• Some students have been told not to bring in any part of their uniform that isn't washed regularly likes ties in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus
• Lunch and break times will be staggered

Schools today introduced a variety of measures across the board to keep their students safe from coronavirus - with a number of students seen wearing face masks as they headed back into class while others had their temperatures checked before heading inside.

Other schools have seen students needing to regularly wash their hands and time it.

The return to school is part of the wider easing of lockdown measures that will allow groups of up to six people to meet in public places or private gardens and outdoor markets and car show rooms reopen.

But Government leaders have stressed social distancing measures must stay in place, particularly staying two metres apart from someone outside your household.

It comes as several scientists have criticised the move suggesting it is too early to lift restrictions and could cause coronavirus infections to rapidly rise again.

Ministers insist the time is right to ease the lockdown because the Government has met its five tests to do so and the rate of infection, or R value, has been consistently below one.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson today told The Sun: "I know there will be some natural nervousness about sending more pupils into school today.

“But I’d like to encourage parents to consider the full benefits of being back at school, not just for their children’s education but also their well-being.”

Business Secretary Alok Sharma also insisted the Government had not undertaken a "dash" to re-start the economy.

Mr Sharma told BBC Breakfast: "This is not a dash. These are very cautious steps that we are taking. They are phased."

Queen's Hill Primary and Nursery School near Norwich reopened to reception children on Monday, with 46 attending out of a total of 75 in the year group.

The school has been open to children of key workers throughout the coronavirus lockdown, with plans to reopen to nursery children next week and to children in Years 1 and 6 from June 15.

Emma Corps, 39, was in a socially distanced queue of parents as she dropped off her five-year-old daughter Isla at the school gates.

She said: "I was a bit anxious but she was excited and I think they need to go back to school as there needs to be some sort of normality back in their lives.

"For the 10 weeks she was saying 'when am I going back, when am I going back?' then at 6.30am this morning it was 'mummy, quick'!"

Fellow mum Jo Frost dropped her five-year-old son Max at the school, saying: "You can't just shut yourself away and wrap yourself up in cotton wool.

"They've put everything in place, they've put a lot of thought into everything. I'm really happy with it."

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In Bristol, Ashton Gate Primary School in Southville was one of few schools there to restart classes this morning.

Mum Angie Parker, 47, dropped her daughter off to resume Year 6, saying: "I'm going against my instincts, in all honesty. I think it's too soon for the schools to be opening.

"But this school has been so remarkable. The staff have been amazing. The detail they have gone into - that's why [the children] are here.

"I'm happy to override my gut reaction to support this moving forward."

Rachel Mostyn, 43, was also dropping her daughter off to rejoin Year 6.

She said: "My feeling is that the school has done everything they can to make the children safe.

"I have complete faith in what they are doing."

It comes after Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said: “The risks to children of this disease are much lower. We know that — they are at very low risk.”

Yet findings from a recent PA news agency survey of local authorities show that more than 20 councils across England - predominantly in the north - are also advising schools not to open to more pupils this week.

Some of those polled have claimed that the NHS Test and Trace system will not be "robust enough" to allay fears over the potential spreading of the virus due to difficulty maintaining social distancing.

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In a message to heads ahead of the reopening, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "We will be arguing that a full return before the summer break is not possible based on the advice we have from the Department for Education.

"Despite the narrative from the Government, the level of confidence for a return to schools remains low.

"The next few days will reveal whether the Government has passed the confidence test. We will discover how many families feel confident to come to school. And we will get a sense of the reaction from staff too."

Meanwhile, Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield has called on the Government to set up summer classes in July and August to help children catch up on work they missed during lockdown, with some facing up to six months off school depending on when they are able to return.

And if all goes well, every primary pupil could return by June 22 to put in a full month before the summer holidays.

Safeguards include classes being halved in size to just 15 pupils.

Schools will be carefully cleaned and children placed in protective “bubbles” preventing them mixing with kids or staff in other groups.

Breaks and lunches will be staggered and classes held outside wherever possible.

Secondary schools will also start offering face-to-face contact with pupils from June 15.

The move is expected to reawaken the economy.

Parents unable to work because of childcare problems will now be able to return to their jobs.

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Part of the move back to schools has seen students advised not to wear ties.

Some students have been told not to bring in any of their uniform that isn't washed regularly in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Mums and dads will also be barred from chatting at the school gates, with parents instead given timed slots to drop their kids off to avoid crowds gathering, The  reports.