There will be a “mixed picture” as to whether primary schools reopen to certain year groups on 1 June as the government had planned, a senior government minister admitted today.

Asked about opposition in some local authorities to classrooms reopening next month, justice secretary Robert Buckland: “We’ve got to accept the fact that some of the councils, of course, are employers, decisions have to be made collectively, there will be other institutions that feel it is safe to open up. I respect that as well.”

He added: “We always said that 1 June was conditional, not just on the R rate but on the need to make places of work safe.”

He was speaking as a growing list of councils said their primaries would not all open on the government’s preferred date, and the government’s own advisers cast more doubts over the timetable.
 

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“I’m hearing what’s being said by a range of different employers and representatives of our brilliant teachers, who are already working with key workers’ families and vulnerable children to provide education services. Let’s not forget that,” Mr Buckland continued, speaking to Sky News.

“I think bit by bit we’re seeing a position emerging that, where it is safe and if people feel safe to be able to work in those environments, then that can happen from June.

“But I said the picture is a mixed one at the moment.”

Mr Buckland told the BBC Breakfast show: “I don’t think any of us want to put either children or our dedicated teaching staff in any danger at all, and the question of being safe is clearly paramount.

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“So we’re all working towards 1 June and planning for that return, but I accept the point that there may well be issues from employers that need to be addressed which might not mean we’ll see a uniform approach on 1 June.”

He added: “It really depends on the views of employers. A lot of councils are direct employers of teaching staff - their views are clearly very important.

“I’m not going to sit here and pretend that suddenly on 1 June everything will be uniform. I don’t know - it’s my hope.

“But these conversations need to continue and we need to listen very carefully to the concerns of employers and staff.”