Get the best experience in our app Enjoy offline reading, category favourites, and instant updates - right from your pocket. Download the App Maybe later Home Archived School reopenings quick guide: What you need to know Back Subscriber-only School reopenings quick guide: What you need to know A bite-sized guide to all the key elements of school reopenings in England 22nd February 2021, 4:05pm Tes reporter Share School reopenings quick guide: What you need to know /magazine/archived/school-reopenings-quick-guide-what-you-need-know Copy Link Here’s a quick guide to everything you need to know from Boris Johnson’s announcement on school reopenings. All schools will return on 8 March Further education settings will also return from 8 March. Secondary school students and college staff will be tested twice a week for Covid as part of testing plans Boris Johnson said the plans to get schools back on March 8 are supported by the chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser Nothing was said on plans for primary pupils to be tested Breakfast and after-school clubs can reopen Sports and other school activities can also return Secondary school students must wear masks in the classroom Here’s how Covid testing will work in colleges Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer issued calls once again for teachers to be vaccinated as a priority - a point ignored by the prime minister The NEU teaching union has questioned why the schools reopening plan doesn’t include ‘Nightingale classrooms’ - extra space to allow for smaller classes We’ll be updating this article as more information comes to light You need a Tes subscription to read this article Subscribe now to read this article and get other subscriber-only content: /per month for 12 months Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content Exclusive subscriber-only stories Award-winning email newsletters Subscribe now Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content Exclusive subscriber-only stories Award-winning email newsletters More information You need a subscription to read this article Subscribe now to read this article and get other subscriber-only content, including: /per month for 12 months Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content Exclusive subscriber-only stories Award-winning email newsletters Subscribe now Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content Exclusive subscriber-only stories Award-winning email newsletters More information Read more New Magazine Experience New Magazine Experience • 18th November 2021 Recent Most read Most shared Teaching ‘an unattractive outlier’ due to lack of remote working News 2 September 2025 Delta Academies Trust appoints Andy Barnett as CEO News 1 September 2025 Teachers much more likely than leaders to call behaviour ‘poor’ News 1 September 2025 Behaviour and attendance ambassadors appointed News 31 August 2025 Teacher pay scales 2025-26: what will your salary look like? Analysis 22 May 2025 Russia bans IB after branding it ‘undesirable’ News 28 August 2025 Students want more support for back-to-school anxiety News 18 August 2025 How did each A-level subject perform this year? News 14 August 2025 SEND and inclusion: a recommended reading list Teaching & Learning 18 August 2025