School lockdowns

How guidance for pupils changed

March 20 2020

All schools are closed, except to vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers

June 1 2020

Phased reopening of schools in England begins. It starts with primary school pupils in some year groups and secondary students due to take exams the following year

Sept 1 2020

Schools reopen for the autumn term with mandatory attendance. About 5 per cent of teachers are absent

Sept 29 2020

The Department for Education says that almost one in six secondary schools is closed to some pupils because of suspected Covid cases

Jan 5 2021

All schools are closed again, except for the children of key workers and vulnerable youngsters

March 8 2021

Schools reopen. Pupils are required to wear masks in classrooms and schools start to operate bubble systems. If one member of a bubble tests positive for Covid, the whole bubble must self-isolate at home for 10 days

May 17 2021

Face mask requirement dropped

July 19 2021

Bubble system ends after figures show 640,000 children were absent from class in the last week of June. Some schools closed entirely amid large numbers of pupils having to isolate because of a Covid case in their bubble

September 1 2021

Schools reopen without restrictions

November 29 2021

Secondary school pupils in England are “strongly advised” to wear face coverings in communal areas

January 3 2022

Pupils in secondary schools told they must wear masks in classrooms again when lessons resume following the Christmas holiday

January 2 2022

Nadhim Zahawi, the then education secretary, advises schools in England to prepare for staff absences by merging classes into larger groups, and to consider “flexible” teaching if face-to-face learning becomes too challenging

January 20 2022

Face coverings in secondary schools scrapped

March 24 2022

Legal duty for schools to provide remote learning ends