Wales schools: Everything you need to know about going back

Plans for how and when pupils will return to school in Wales have been announced.

The country's education minister Kirsty Williams said schools will work "very differently" to the way they did before lockdown.

There will be a four-week term starting from Monday 29 June, that will finish on Monday 27 July.

There will also be an extra week added to the Autumn half-term break.

Class sizes will be smaller, but schools will be open to all years for limited periods during the week.

Each year will be split into groups and there will be staggered starts, lessons and break times. This means that at most a third of pupils will be in school at any one time.

Children who are shielding will continue with online classes at home.

Ms Williams said: "We will use the last weeks of the summer term to make sure pupils, staff and parents are prepared - mentally, emotionally and practically - for the new normal in September."

Schools in Wales will work differently to before when students go back.

Ms Williams highlighted the importance of children returning to school, adding: "The evolving science suggests that warm weather and sunlight gives us the best opportunity to ensure more time in school. Waiting until September would mean almost half a year without schooling. That would be to the detriment to the wellbeing, learning progress and mental health of our young people."

Some teaching unions in Wales - groups which represent teachers there - disagree with the plans though and have raised concerns about the safety of pupils.

The Welsh government will give guidance to support schools next week.

Ms Williams said the "health and wellbeing of pupils and staff is, and always will be, a primary concern".

She added: "We have not rushed this work and this decision. The three and a half week period before the next phase also gives us time to keep watch on developments elsewhere and provides further check-points to review evidence and the roll-out of testing. This is the best practical option that meets my five principles which underpin my decision making."

The back-to-school plans in Wales are different to those elsewhere in the UK and come after some primary school pupils in England returned to class this week.

Schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland will begin to return in August.