Will schools be open over the summer holiday?

As lockdown measures are slowly and gradually eased across the country, schools are preparing to open their gates once again for certain pupils.

Following Boris Johnson’s announcement on Monday, primary schools will re-open on 1 June for some primary years, with some secondary to follow later in the month.

With schools having been closed since March to all children, except those of key workers and those considered vulnerable – and some years not due to return to the classroom until September – there have been suggestions that schools could open over the usual summer holiday period to allow students to catch up.

Could this be a possibility? Here’s what you need to know…

Will schools be open over the summer holidays?

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At the moment there are no confirmed plans for schools to be open over the traditional summer break, which starts in July.

However, speculation that they could open has been rife, with former Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw saying that it might be necessary for some students.

Sir Michael said: ‘Schools have really got to ensure that recovery programmes are put in place – that might mean working in holiday periods, it might mean weekend work with examinations due.’

He warned of a ‘lost generation’ as a result of schools being shut down, saying disadvantaged students were most likely to have suffered as a result.

However the Department of Education has since said there are no plans to open schools over the summer break, with one teaching union saying it was ‘not realistic’ to keep schools open at that time.

Which years are returning to school?

The first pupils back in the classroom will be Reception, and Years 1 and 6 in primary school, who will return on 1 June.

As far as secondary school goes, years 10 and 12 will have ‘some contact’ with teachers to enable them to continue preparation for their exams next year.

He added: ‘We then intend, from June 15, for secondary schools to provide some contact for Year 10 and Year 12 students to help them prepare for exams next year with up to a quarter of these students in at any point,’ Boris Johnson explained.

‘By opening schools to more pupils in this limited way we are taking a deliberately cautious approach.’

The remainder of years are unlikely to return to school before September.

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