So what are the official rules?

UNDER the latest Government guidance there is no general need for children to wear masks in schools.

Face coverings are not required in classrooms, even in higher-risk areas.

In hotspot areas both staff and secondary school pupils should wear face coverings ‘when moving around indoors, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain’. In parts of the country with no special rules, head teachers have the discretion to require masks in communal areas ‘where social distancing cannot be safely managed’.

But classrooms should be mask-free zones. The guidance states: ‘Face coverings can have a negative impact on learning so their use in the classroom should be avoided.’