All primary pupils and years 12-14 return to classroom

All primary school children will return to face-to-face learning on Monday for the first time this year.

Secondary school pupils in years 12 to 14 will also return to class, with the remainder of students due to return after the Easter holidays on 12 April.

Primary pupils in years P1 to P3, nursery and pre-school children are already back, having returned on 8 March.

Education Minister Peter Weir said it was a "very good day" for education in Northern Ireland and "another important step forward for schools, pupils and parents".

"This is a significant milestone in the return to a normalised educational environment," he said.

Mr Weir said his focus was now on developing plans to help children catch up on what they had missed out on during lockdown.

He said he would be bringing proposals to the Executive that included a wide range of summer school provision.

Covid testing

As part of plans to return to classroom learning, Covid-19 lateral flow testing is being introduced for teachers and some older pupils.

The tests will be offered to staff in nurseries, pre-schools, primary schools and secondary schools and to pupils in year groups 12-14.

The tests are being introduced in a phased basis. They are being trialled and demonstrated in secondary schools this week ahead of a full rollout to other educational settings after the Easter holidays from 12 April.

From that date there will be an expectation that year group 12-14 pupils will take the tests at home.

The timetable for returning to school was agreed by Stormont ministers last week as part of the initial steps of their lockdown exit strategy.

Several restrictions on wider society are due to lift next month, including:

From 1 April

  • Up to six people from no more than two households can meet outdoors in a private garden

  • Ten people, from no more than two households, are able to participate in outdoor sporting activities. Golf courses to reopen (clubhouses to remain closed)

  • Click-and-collect purchases allowed from garden centres and plant nurseries

From 12 April

  • Up to 10 people from no more than two households can meet outdoors in a private garden

  • Click and collect at all non-essential retail outlet

  • "Stay-at-home" requirement lifts. Will be replaced by "stay local" message

  • Outdoor sports training to resume for sports clubs affiliated with recognised governing bodies with no more than 15 participants in one training group. Indoor club facilities, apart from toilets, to remain closed.

The Executive has also amended regulations around elite sports to enable two World Cup qualification matches scheduled for March 25 and 31 to take place as well as a friendly match between Northern Ireland and the US on March 28.

No spectators will be permitted at any sporting event.

The 12 April easements are subject to final ratification by the Executive in the week before they come into effect, likely on April 8.

The death of one further patient who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 was reported on Sunday by Northern Ireland's Department of Health.

Another 125 cases of the virus were also confirmed.