The government will be setting out a “comprehensive” plan on reopening schools next week, the prime minister has announced.

Speaking at the daily coronavirus briefing, Boris Johnson said a “huge amount of work” has gone into the plan on “how we can get our children back to school”. 

He added that the government will continue to be “guided by the science”.

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Mr Johnson said: “I will be setting out a comprehensive plan next week to explain how we can get our economy moving - one - how we can get our children back to school; back into childcare - second; and third, how we can travel to work and how we can make life in the workplace safer.

“And in short, how we can continue to suppress the disease and at the same time restart the economy.

“A huge amount of work has been going on on that plan and of course, as we produce it, we are being guided by the science, and we will try to build the maximum political consensus as we produce it - across all parties and across the UK.”

But he stressed that the government’s “five key tests” must be satisfied before the plan is implemented.

Tes understands the preparations for reopening schools include talks to be held tomorrow between Department for Education officials and the major unions on how to do so safely.