'School bubbles and isolation' to come to an end

• Watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Elodie Harper

There may be relief for many parents and teachers after it was announced that covid bubbles in schools will be axed later this month.

Under the current rules, if a pupil in a bubble tests positive for Covid then the whole group must self-isolate at home, but that requirement will be dropped from July 19th.

From then, contact tracing by NHS Test and Trace will take over.

Gavin Williamson also told the House of Commons that it will also “not be necessary to stagger start and finish times” at schools.

• Covid test and trace to replace self-isolation for school bubbles.

• These are the lockdown rules that are set to go from July 19 in England

• Mixed reaction across the east to ending of restrictions on July 19th

At County Upper in Bury St Edmunds, keeping students separate has meant they have also missed out on activities that involve mixing year groups, with many students keen for it to end.

Figures show around 500,000 children are currently off school across the UK and although schools are happy to see the back of the bubble system, they are feeling the need to still be cautious.

Some schools fear eliminating bubbles won't end all the disruption. At Saffron Walden County High they've had over 30 cases of Covid this month and fear a surge in Delta will also be damaging to education.