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All primary school pupils from England, and many from Northern Ireland, will return to the classroom today after two months of studying at home in the latest lockdown.

They will be joining lots of kids in Scotland and Wales, who started making their return in February.

Secondary schools in England are also re-opening fully this week but many students are having a phased return, which will allow for schools to get ready and set up a special coronavirus testing process,

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the return is an important first step towards a "sense of normality".

Schools re-opening is the first stage of England's lifting of lockdown.

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What is happening?

This is the fourth big return to school in England since the start of the pandemic last March.

For many pupils, apart from one day in January before the lockdown, this will be the first week back in school this year.

The government hopes that this will be the last return needed because lots of vaccinations of adults in the UK are taking place, with more than 20 million people now vaccinated.

All primary schools in England are expected to re-open today, and pupils will not have to take Covid tests or wear masks.

Secondary school pupils will have to wear masks in classrooms and will also have regular Covid tests - with three tests in school before switching to being tested at home.

Different year groups will start on different days to allow time for testing in secondary schools.

What's going on where I live?

In Northern Ireland, children in primary one to primary three and those in nursery will return today.

Pupils in primaries four to seven and years eight to 11 in post-primaries do not know yet when they will return to school. However, pupils studying for GCSEs, AS and A level will return from 22 March.

In Scotland, younger primary school children went back to school last month. More primary school and secondary school years will be returning from 15 March.

In Wales, younger primary school children went back to school last month. Further primary and secondary school pupils will be going back between 15 March and mid-April.

What are the Covid rules in schools?

Primary school pupils in England don't have to wear masks or take Covid tests.

In Secondary schools, Covid tests for pupils are voluntary.

However, students who have got parental permission will be required to have three rapid flow tests in school before they return to the classroom.

They will then be expected to continue testing themselves at home, taking two at-home tests per week.

The aim is to help stop the spread of the coronavirus and keep track of who might have the virus, even if they don't have any symptoms.

Face masks are expected to be worn in secondary school classrooms, where social distancing isn't possible.

This rule will be in place at least for the remaining weeks of this term.

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