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More parents have been echoing the views of Fran Pearson, who said earlier she will miss having her children around the house.

Kerry Howells said: "I know this pandemic is horrific but actually, it’s made us all reflect on what really matters, and our home/work life will remain changed. We’re a family again."

Image source, Getty Images

And Tara Hanshaw Lewis commented: "What a wonderful thing to have time together. Something sadly lacking in today's world."

Aston Villa hope to sign Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson for about £20m and Nottingham Forest defender Matty Cash in a deal that could be worth up to £16m.

BBC Sport

Wolves captain Conor Coady says news of his England call-up initially confused his family - as they thought he was telling them his wife was pregnant.

Coady, 27, represented England from under-16 to under-20 level before he joined Championship side Huddersfield in 2014 from boyhood club Liverpool.

The defender is now in the England squad for the first time.

"Me and my wife said to my parents: 'We've got news for you,'" said Coady.

"I had my arm round my wife and my mum and dad said: 'Oh, Amie is not pregnant again is she?'"

Read more here.

Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News

Twins Evie and Grace are starting senior school on their birthday.

Their dad Martin Waring said the girls, who live near Nantwich in Cheshire, had some fun posing for a picture with long faces.

He said: "They are actually excited believe it or not... they have been looking forward to seeing their friends and making new ones."

Happy birthday girls, I hope you have a good first day back and get some celebrations in too.

An inquest hears families of those killed in the 1974 IRA attack "want justice to be seen to be done".

A steep decline in the number of snipes had led the RSPB to add them to the endangered list.

Facebook

It's a day of mixed feelings for parents as their children head back to school - for the first time since March, for some of them.

And Fran Pearson wrote this on the BBC Shropshire Facebook page: "I’m not going to lie, I’m going to miss them. I’ve had the best uninterrupted six months with them, I’ve cherished every minute of it. I suspect I will never again have the opportunity to spend so much amazing quality time with them."

At the same time, many children will be eager to get back to the classroom and Louise Ann commented: "Little boy back into year one and school could not be more ready. Safe and happy children."

Eight workers at the Cape Hill supermarket are isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.

A man's been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing in Nuneaton on Monday evening.

The 38-year-old from South Croydon is being questioned after a man in his 20s was stabbed in the back when fighting broke out in an alleyway off Queen's Road.

A 26-year-old woman has also been arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery, Warwickshire Police said, external.

While thousands of pupils have returned to school today, and more are due to return tomorrow, some parents have decided to keep their children at home.

A YouGov poll this morning suggests close to one in six parents have seriously considered not sending their children to school over coronavirus fears.

Image source, Google

The headteacher at St John's C of E Primary School at Allesley in Coventry, Gary Watson, said they are having conversations with those parents.

Mr Watson said only a handful of pupils haven't returned, adding: "We're in constant communication with them and we're visiting them and we'll be supporting them through the process in the decisions that they make."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A growing, family-run Walsall brewery is set to open up a micro pub on its site.

AJ Ales set up on Ashmore Industrial Estate in Long Acre Street six years ago and moved to a larger unit last year.

Image source, Google

The business said the popularity of the brewery and its open days had encouraged it to make the expansion plans.

The headteacher at Baxter Academy in Kidderminster says he's been into every classroom ahead of the big reopening and "we've checked, checked and double-checked".

Years seven and 12 are back today, with the rest of the pupils returning tomorrow and Matthew Carpenter said: "It's been a lot to do, considering we've got nearly 80 classrooms."

Mr Carpenter explained the school had been split into zones for each year, installed lots of hand sanitiser dispensers, removed excess furniture, turned around desks to face the same way and introduced a one-way system.

He said he felt "excited" to be back but "nervous" in case there was another virus peak.

Lee Tatton appeared in a series following Staffordshire Police officers responding to emergencies.

The headteacher of a primary school in Droitwich says it feels like "our building is coming back to life".

Emma Rowe from Cutnall Green Primary described the atmosphere during lockdown as "eerie" and that this morning, for pupils' return, "we've got purpose again and everybody's got a little bit more bounce in their stride, slightly wider smiles".

Image source, Cutnall Green Primary

She added: "some of the staff are nervous because they want this to go really, really well for their children."

Joanne Gallacher
Political reporter, BBC Shropshire

I went to Old Park Primary School in Telford in Shropshire during lockdown to see the imaginative ways they had tackled social distancing.

They replaced grey floor tiles with a bright green one every two metres so pupils knew where to stand and it looks like stepping stones throughout the corridor.

Mandie Haywood is the head teacher of the school which has 620 pupils.

She told me: “You’d be amazed at how adaptable children are and they do follow the rules we put in place. They’re just so positive, it’s lovely to have the school feel alive again.

"They follow what they’re asked to do. They’re not very good at social distancing because children aren’t but what we’re hearing all the time is they’re at such a low risk and they don’t seem to pass anything on so it’s important we don’t frighten them too much about it.

“We are so ambitious for our children in the long run. Their education is desperately important to us but we want to make it interesting and fun.”

Millions of pupils in England are returning to school after the unprecedented shutdown linked to the coronavirus pandemic.

Image source, Reuters

Schools will look different, with one-way systems, screens keeping pupils apart and staggered start times.

Many pupils will be given inductions so they understand the new rules, such as staying in their "bubble" groups and where to use social distancing.

Teachers will assess how much pupils need to catch up after a long absence.

Here's some advice for parents anxious about the return.We'd also like to hear your views.

You can contact us via email,Twitter, externaland Facebook., external

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A planned park to remember the victims of a Second World War bomb attack is set to get £17,000 towards the project.

A German bomber killed seven people and injured another 50 when it hit the Meco works on Bromyard Road, Worcester, on 3 October 1940.

The seven were the only people to die in an attack on Worcester during the war.

The park, with a memorial, is set to be created in the St John's area, with the £17,000 coming from the city council.

The plans also include a new boardwalk over some areas that are prone to flooding and an orchard.

Shropshire Star

Here are three stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Plea for rethink on future of bus station, external
• Family builds own theatre as venues struggle in crisis, external
• Cliff Railway responds to criticism over strict face mask policy, external

Maintenance crews on the M6 could have been seriously hurt when a car drove through roadworks to try to avoid traffic, police said.

The car was stopped near junction 13 near Stafford and the driver was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Image source, Google

BBC Sport

Worcestershire's Moeen Ali says he's been trying to play like he did when he first joined the England side and wanted to be "full of energy and try and be busy at the crease".

He was the top scorer for them in their five-run defeat to Pakistan last night and explained: "I feel like I've been lacking that lately and over maybe a long period of time actually, so it was nice to get out there and play well today."

Image source, Getty Images

England were set 191 to win the third T20 international but only managed 185 off their 20 overs, with Moeen scoring 61 off 33 balls.

The result means the series is drawn 1-1.