At the start of the UK coronavirus lockdown, schools closed to most pupils. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced earlier this year his hopes for all primary school pupils to spend some time with their teachers before the summer holidays. However, the Government later U-turned on this plan, instead only permitting certain year groups to return for a few weeks.
Across the UK a number of schools have started to reopen in recent weeks.
In Northern Ireland the new school term began on August 24 for Primary 7, Year 12 and Year 14 pupils and vulnerable children across all year groups.
All other pupils in Northern Ireland are expected to return to school on normal start dates this year.
In Scotland pupils have already returned to school, after the Scottish government insisted it was safe for schools to reopen.
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“All I can say is the risks are very, very, very small that they’ll even get it, but then the risk that they’ll suffer from it badly are very, very, very, very small indeed.
“I think it’s vital that parents understand that schools are safe and that teachers have gone to great lengths to get schools ready.
“They’ve been doing it all throughout the pandemic, by the way.
“Lots of schools have been open and looking after kids very, very successfully and will take steps to ensure that groups aren’t mixed up, that we have washing of hands and all the other disciplines you need to prevent spread of the virus.”
What are the school term dates for 2020?
Summer Break: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 – Tuesday, September 1 2020
Term 1: Wednesday, September 2 – Friday, October 23, 2020
Half Term: Monday, October 26 – Friday, October 30, 2020
Term 2: Monday, November 2 – Friday, December 18, 2020
Christmas Break: Monday, December 21 – Friday, January 1, 2021
The date schools reopen will differ by local authority, so in England and Wales you can check when schools open in your local area via the Government website HERE.
To find out when schools reopen in Scotland, and when the half term dates fall, you can check via the Scottish government website HERE.
School holiday dates for Northern Ireland can be found via the government website HERE.
