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Coronavirus: All pupils in Wales 'back in school full-time' in September

Children in class

There are plans for all pupils in Wales to return to school in September.

The country's Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, made the announcement today.

She said it would be possible at the start of the next academic year because of a decline in the number of coronavirus cases across Wales.

There will be "limited social distancing" within classes or contact groups of around 30 pupils. It has also been recognised that some mixing between children in different groups, such as on school transport, will be "unavoidable".

Adults in schools, including teachers, will have to socially distance from each other.

Ms Williams said: "Every decision we have made has been backed by the latest available scientific and medical guidance. Thanks to Wales's cautious and careful approach, Covid's presence in our communities is declining.

"In the expectation that this will continue, the advice to me is that schools can plan to open in September, with all pupils present."

There are still questions about how it will all work, but more information and guidance will be published next week - that's when most of the pupils in Wales will be in their final week of a shortened summer term.

On 29 June, all schools in Wales were able to reopen for a three to four-week long term, but not all pupils were in at the same time.

Now Ms Williams has said all pupils should return "if possible" from 1 September - the first day of the new term - but schools can have "two weeks flexibility" if head teachers want to prioritise the return of some year groups.

All pupils in England are expected to go back to school in September, while in Scotland and Northern Ireland, they'll return in August.