Troublesome school year for officials, principals, teachers, staff, pupils and parents

May 21: Plans are announced for schools to reopen in August, with a phased return for students. It causes uproar. Many schools say reopening safely will be impossible.

June 19: The Executive agrees to extend the free meals scheme to cover the summer holidays.

August 13: A-level results are published. Here, 37% of estimated grades were lowered. Schools are issued with reopening guidelines, with the wearing of face coverings optional.

August 17: Four days after results are published, A-level and GCSE results will now be based on teachers’ assessment following controversy over grades.

August 24: Schools reopen, with students in years 7, 12 and 14 the first to return.

September 1: Almost all schools fully reopen for the first time since March.

September 2: Following a hearing at the High Court, the AQE and PPTC transfer exams are delayed from November 2020 to January 2021.

October 14: Fresh restrictions are announced and schools will close for two weeks from Monday, October 19.

October 19: Almost 1,500 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in schools since August.

November 2: Schools are told to hold PE classes outside with no more than 15 pupils.

November 3: Following the previous day’s advice regarding PE, schools will now be able to hold classes indoors or outdoors without limits on numbers following a change in regulations.

November 10: It’s announced that GCSE, AS and A-level examinations will go ahead in summer 2021.

November 17: Education Minister Peter Weir says there are “no plans” to extend the Christmas school holidays in Northern Ireland.

November 19: The Executive agrees to impose a two-week circuit breaker lockdown from Friday November 27. Schools will stay open.

November 30: Mr Weir dismisses speculation that schools will close early for Christmas. December 9: Mr Weir again says he will not cancel GCSE, AS and A-level exams in 2021. On the same day Lisnagarvey High in Lisburn becomes the first local school to move almost entirely to remote teaching for the rest of the term following a Covid outbreak.

December 18: The minister announces that schools and other education establishments in Northern Ireland will open as normal in the first week of January.

December 26: Northern Ireland goes into a six-week lockdown after rules were briefly relaxed for Christmas Day. Schools still scheduled to open as planned.

December 31: Schools will have a phased return through January, with primary school pupils being taught remotely until January 11, and some secondary pupils in years 8, 9, 10 and 11 not returning to the classroom until the end of this month. The transfer tests will go ahead as planned.