School in September
relaxed their guard – and their restrictions – only to see a resurgence of the virus and new lockdowns being put in place.”
The announcement came as, over the border, ministers announced wearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets is to be made mandatory in England in a fresh move to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Anyone failing to comply with the order – which comes into force in England on July 24 – could face a fine of up to £100.
The move follows a weekend of confusion over whether ministers ing into wider groups for specialist teaching, wraparound care and transport. Siblings may also be in different groups.
“All teachers and staff can operate across different classes and year groups in order to facilitate the delivery of the school timetable. This will be particularly important for secondary schools.
“Where staff need to move between classes and year groups, they should try and keep their distance from learners and other staff as much as they can, ideally two metres from other adults. Again, we recognise this is not likely to be possible with younger learners and teachers in primary schools can still work across groups if that is needed to enable a full educational offer.”
If there is a second wave of Covid-19 or a local outbreak, all schools must have a plan to return to full-time remote learning.
The 49-page guidance document cautions the situation may change.
The guidance says a school does not have to shut if someone tests positive for Covid-19.
Laura Doel, director of school leaders’ union
NAHT Cymru, said: “We welcome the fact that schools now have a degree of clarity about what the September return will look like. Schools can now begin to put plans in place to welcome all pupils back next term. However, we should not underestimate the scale of the logistical challenges this guidance will pose school leaders in particular.
“There are specific areas where we still need clarity from Welsh Government. These include on the use of face coverings, and how they expect wraparound care to operate.”