Schools should not plan for all primary pupils to return for a month before the summer holidays as this prospect is not “realistic”, heads have said.

Any phased return to school should be managed with “extreme caution”, which may mean it is necessary to take a “more gradual approach than the government has indicated”, according to school leaders’ union NAHT.

In new advice issued to members last night, which it says is not an endorsement of the government stance on school reopening but is designed to help schools plan for a phased return, the union advises heads to ignore the government’s target for all primary pupils to be back in school for a month before the end of term.

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It states: “NAHT does not believe that the suggestion that all primary pupils could be back for a month before the end of the school year is realistic.

“In the absence of any advice from the government on returning whole cohorts in July and the high conditionality attached to this ‘ambition’, we advise members not to plan for this eventuality at present.”

It also warns that it may not be possible for schools to bring back “all the pupils the government has indicated it would like to see back in school on 1 June”.

However, NAHT says it would be “prudent to plan for a high take-up of places, even if parents and carers indicate that initial take-up is likely to be low”.

“This is because, over time, more parents may want to send their children into school as they see others return,” the guidance adds. 

“NAHT, therefore, recommends that members plan on the basis that virtually all pupils in a class could return. This will help to ensure any plan is sustainable over the summer term.”

The advice to members, which interprets the latest Department for Education (DfE) guidance, also states that, at this point in time, NAHT understands that the government would “prefer schools to prioritise bringing back individual year groups on a consistent basis rather than alternating year groups on a rota basis”.

It adds that the DfE has listed these year groups in order of priority, with the youngest children being the highest priority.

However, if the individual circumstances of a school mean the use of rotas even within a year group is “unavoidable”, NAHT recommends schools try to avoid split day rotas, and instead opt for “a week on, week off approach”.

NAHT’s advice comes after it joined with the major teaching unions yesterday to jointly call for the government to step back from its 1 June phased reopening target.

The NAHT guidance also states:

• Prioritising pupils is likely to be necessary in almost all cases, to a degree.
• Schools should check with families to see whether numbers of vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers - who remain the top priority - are likely to increase. This should be done before, or in parallel with, thinking about individual year groups.
• Schools may wish to consider bringing back one year group at a time to see whether it is possible to increase the number of pupils attending.
• The limit of 15 pupils per class should not be exceeded. In some cases, it may need to be smaller based on the size and layout of classrooms.
• School leaders should not be required to work over the summer holidays.
• Where staff present specific circumstances that appear to place them at a greater risk, schools should aim to seek additional information, a record of which can be attached to a standard risk assessment which sets out the steps that have been taken. This may include a decision for the member of staff to remain at home.
• It is unrealistic to expect schools to immediately return to the national curriculum in its entirety and there is no expectation on schools that they should do so.
• In many cases, schools are likely to consider that a gradual return to the curriculum will be appropriate - but there will be no inspection or audit of schools’ approaches at this time.
• School leaders should continue to consider what a future phased reopening might look like in their context. 
• If members of staff say that they are not able to enter discussions about a phased reopening at this stage owing to union advice, leaders should explain they are aware of the position the union has taken and understand talks will continue at a national level. At a school level, any such limitations to effectively assess the risk around expanding such provision should be recorded and taken into account for individual school risk assessments.
• NAHT is seeking clarity from the DfE on any possible impact on pay and conditions, and is also urging the government to publish more specific information about the use of PPE in schools.

A DfE spokesperson said: “We want children back in schools as soon as it is safe to do so because it is the best place for them to learn and benefit from important social interactions.

“Plans for a phased return of some year groups from 1 June, at the earliest, are based on the best scientific and medical advice. The welfare of children and staff has been at the heart of all decision making.

“We have engaged closely with the unions throughout the past seven weeks and will continue to do so, including to develop further guidance for the sector.”