Headteachers fear schools won’t be safe to open in June after lockdown lifted

Government plans could open up classrooms again in June - a move teachers say is too soon.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

Boris Johnson is expected to announce on Sunday that year-six children, aged 10 and 11, will be the first classes allowed back into schools as early as June 1.

Other primary school years and then years 10 and 12 will then follow them

Those age groups will be targeted to be the first back in lessons because they are at crucial stages of their education.

Schools have been closed since March 20, except for the children of key workers.

But the amount of parents taking advantage of still being able to send their kids to school while they work has been significantly lower than ministers expected - around 1 per cent.

Many teachers have said social distancing will be difficult in schools and almost impossible in others with narrow corridors and small classrooms, according to

Headteacher of Parklands primary school in Leeds Chris Dyson said: "We've still got 28,000 dead, which is an absolute disaster.

"What we can't afford to do is have wave two. What's going to win this? Is it going to be money or is it going to be health?

"The simple fact is it’s impossible to socially distance primary school children.

"I’ve just been around all the classrooms with a tape measure to see how many children I can get in each room with a view to social distancing.

"My year 3 class is normally 25. I can only have five children if we are following the letter of the law and keeping 2 metres apart.”

Matthew Shanks, executive headteacher of Education South West, a multi-academy trust with three secondary schools, six primaries and one all-through school, said teachers wanted to get children back to classrooms, but they still had concerns over safety.

He said: "A lot of parents have said they will not be sending their children back to primary, no matter what happens.

"It’s a small world. People look around and see, if Spain are not opening [schools] until September, why are we opening them now?"

School leaders are also asking for more clarification on whether schools are compulsory and whether parents will be fined for not sending their child back to their classroom if they are worried about safety.

Normally parents can be fined £60 for not sending their child to school without a good reason.

If not paid, the fine then doubles to £120, before being escalated to prosecution by their local authority.

Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman has said it is "highly unlikely" parents will be fined for not sending their children to school over coronavirus fears. 

Another head teacher, Michael Ferry, of St Wilfrid's Catholic school in Crawley, West Sussex said even with a small number of pupils social distancing was extremely difficult.

He said: "(Even with just 10 students) they sit at different tables for lunch, but before you know it, one of them has moved to chat to another."

Joint general secretary of the National Education Union Kevin Courtney said: “We need to see evidence of a sustained downward trend in cases, a national plan for social distancing and personal protective equipment, comprehensive access to testing for staff and pupils, a whole school strategy for when cases emerge, and protection for the vulnerable.

"Anything else will be a dereliction of duty from government and put our members’ health at direct risk, as well as that of their loved ones.”

The Department for Education spokesperson said: “Schools will remain closed, except for children of critical workers and vulnerable children, until the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to reopen and the five tests set out by government to beat this virus have been met.”