PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has written an open letter to parents, saying he is "in awe" of the way they have risen to the challenges of the Covid pandemic.

Mr Johnson said in the letter parents, carers and guardians have responded “magnificently”, with the Government having faced sustained criticism for its handling of education during the pandemic.

This week he said classrooms in England would remain closed to all but the vulnerable and children of key workers until March 8 at the earliest, having been closed since the Christmas break.

Wales is planning an earlier phased return to school starting after the February half-term, providing Covid-19 rates continue to fall.

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In the open letter, Mr Johnson said: “I’m particularly in awe of the way the parents, carers and guardians of children have risen to the unique challenges with which you have been faced.

“Whether you’ve been welcoming a baby into the world without all the usual support networks, finding new ways to entertain a restive five-year-old when the soft play centre is shut and playdates are but a distant memory, or steering a teenager through the emotional stresses and strains of these unprecedented times, you have been dealt the trickiest of hands yet played it magnificently.”

He insisted the Government is “doing everything we can to support you”, with laptops being sent to schools and the extension of free school meals after pressure from critics.

“And when all this is over we’re going to be putting hundreds of millions of pounds into nationwide catch-up programmes so that nobody gets left behind,” he added.

“In the meantime, I want you to know that you are doing a great job.”

Schools could reopen from March 8 but only if a number of conditions are met.

But Boris Johnson confirmed this week it will not be possible to reopen schools “immediately after the February half term”.

The Government will undertake a review on February 22 in order to give school leaders two weeks notice on when they could reopen.