School timetable How the story unfolded
March 18
Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, announces schools will close at the end of the week to all but the children of key workers and the most vulnerable youngsters
May 3
The Sunday
Telegraph discloses exclusively that schools will be asked to return by June 1 at the earliest
May 12
Unions reveal that they could cite employment laws which state that employees have the individual right to refuse to go into a workplace if they believe there is a “serious and imminent danger” to health and safety
May 14
The National Association of Head Teachers, usually considered one of the more moderate unions, tells its members not to plan to have all their pupils back by the end of the June, as this is not “realistic”
May 15
Councils in Hartlepool and Liverpool, right, are first to refuse to reopen schools on June 1. The Local Government Association wants councils and schools to decide how and when they reopen
May 18
The Government refuses to rule out taking legal action against councils that refuse to reopen their schools on June 1
May 19
Prof Dame Angela Mclean, the deputy chief scientific adviser, casts doubt over the June 1 reopening, saying an “effective track, trace and isolate system” must be in place before schools reopen
May 20
Government climbs down over June 1. Robert Buckland, Justice Secretary, says local decisions by schools and councils about when they feel it is safe for schools to reopen must be respected and accepted
May 10
Boris Johnson says schools should prepare for a phased reopening on June 1, starting with Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 with the “ambition” that all primary school children will have some time in the classroom before the summer holidays
May 11
The biggest teachers’ union, the National Education Union, whose joint general secretary is Mary Bousted, right, tells members not to engage with plans to reopen schools. The NASUWT union joins in as it has “serious and fundamental concerns”