Education

Secondary schools should only have a quarter of year 10 and year 12 pupils in at any one time to reduce coronavirus transmission risks, the Government’s new guidance says.

Primary schools in the Dereham area are treading carefully ahead of the government’s planned reopening date of June 1, with many opting to delay pupils’ return.

Headteachers have warned children could be getting “part-time education” for some time, at a debate focused on the reopening of schools in Norfolk.

Individual headteachers and governors will be given the final say on when schools can open to more children, the leader of Norfolk County Council has said.

The Government’s plan to potentially start allowing children in reception, year one and six to return to school from June 1 has received mixed reactions.

Headteachers and the Norfolk representative of the biggest teachers’ union are set to join parents for a virtual video debate of the reopening of schools.

Almost two thirds of parents in Norfolk believe that children should not return to school until September.

A mid Norfolk high school has kept hold of its ‘good’ Ofsted rating after a recent inspection.

Teachers and support staff should ask dozens of questions about safety before schools decide to open their doors to more pupils next month, according to the latest guidance from education unions.

Education chiefs say they recognise how “demanding” it will be for Norfolk schools to open to more children in the months ahead - and that headteachers will be best placed to decide when to reopen.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has appealed to teaching unions to work with the government to find “practical solutions” to enable schools in England to begin reopening.

Parents across Norfolk and Waveney have slammed suggestions children could return to school as soon as the beginning of next month.

The government is aiming to see all primary school children spend a month back at school before the summer holidays, according to its updated guidance.

Headteachers have said plans for primary children to start returning to the classroom from June 1 needs to be proved to be safe and workable amid concerns over social distancing young pupils and staff.

Young children could start returning to nurseries in from June 1, with the aim for all primary school pupils to go back for a month before summer.

A Norfolk MP has blasted the county council for failing to support vulnerable children and families, as a shock report found national failings to provide special educational needs plans are damaging children’s lives.

Reopening schools prematurely could risk creating a spike in the transmission of Covid-19, teaching unions have warned.

Fears digital divide risks Norfolk pupils ‘being left behind’ during lockdown Fears Norfolk pupils are missing out on home-schooling during lockdown due to poor internet access have been highlighted as a watchdog ranked the county in the bottom 5pc across England.

A north Norfolk school has joined forces with a council to deliver PPE and vital supplies to those in need.

Calls have been made for younger pupils to return to schools first when the coronavirus lockdown lifts.

Coronavirus has impacted all levels of education, from nurseries to final exams. But for many 17 and 18-year-olds, the impact has been particularly acute.

Thousands of Norfolk teenagers are facing huge uncertainty over exams after their GCSEs were cancelled.

More than a fifth of parents say they are not doing any home education with their primary school-aged children during the Covid-19 lockdown, a survey suggests.

Exams are a stressful time for pupils at the best of times, but the coronavirus crisis had added a layer of uncertainty to those who were expecting to sit them this summer.

Schools are set to reopen to children in a “phased manner” after the Covid-19 lockdown, the Education Secretary has said.

The earliest realistic date for schools to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic is June 1, a former Bury St Edmund head who now leads the headteachers’ union has said.

Children of key workers at a mid Norfolk school have made face shields for hospital and care home staff.

Nurseries could face closure after a government U-turn on guarantees of financial support for childcare providers during the coronavirus crisis.

Almost 90pc of Norfolk vulnerable children who could still be at school during the coronavirus pandemic are not in the classroom, concerned council bosses have said.