PRIMARY school teachers are preparing for all of their pupils to return to the classroom on Monday.

Unlike secondary schools and colleges, there is no requirement for primary age pupils to be tested for Covid before returning.

This is because there are limited public health benefits attached to testing primary pupils in terms of stopping the spread of Covid-19 and younger children are less likely to catch the virus.

Primary school pupils are also not required to wear a face covering at school.

Liz Bartholomew, headteacher of Mayflower Primary School, in Dovercourt, said she can see why some teachers and parents are anxious about the children returning at once.

She said: “It is difficult to comment on whether this is the right decision or not - I’m glad I’m not in government making these decisions.

“We are being told that children do not spread the virus and that schools are safe, even though the Prime Minister himself told us ‘schools are vectors for spreading the disease’ only nine weeks ago.

“Therefore I can see why some parents are anxious, despite the lengths to which schools are going in terms of mitigating the risks.”

Ms Bartholomew did say, however, that it is positive that staff are regularly doing Covid tests and they are now available for families of staff and relatives of pupils.

“But this doesn’t resolve the fact that if a pupil or adult in school tests positive, bubbles will still have to be closed and isolation will still need to happen and the regular testing could make this far more of an occurrence,” she added.

Ms Bartholomew said it is important for the children to catch up on missed social interactions and experiences.

“What they don’t need is a diet of intense academic catch-up,” she added.

“My opinion would be to take this opportunity to actually rewrite the curriculum.”