Secondary students will be required to wear masks in classrooms as well as in the corridor and communal spaces, it has been announced.

The rule comes as part of the Covid safety measures being introduced for the return of all pupils to schools in England from 8 March.

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The Department for Education said that the return would involve: “Protective measures across education strengthened, with students in Year 7 and above to wear face coverings indoors, including classrooms, where social distancing cannot be maintained.”

Schools reopening: Secondary students to wear face masks in class

Staff in secondary schools and colleges are also “being advised to wear face coverings in all areas, including classrooms, where social distancing cannot be maintained, as a temporary extra measure”.

The DfE said the rule on the use of face coverings in classrooms would be in place until Easter, and “as with all measures, the government will keep it under review”.

It added that: “Teachers should continue to be sensitive to the additional needs of their students, such as deafness, in deciding whether it is appropriate to wear a face covering.”

In November 2020, the DfE updated its guidance to state that in all secondary schools “face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained”.

Prior to this, DfE guidance stated that a mandatory masks policy only applied in areas where the local Covid alert level was “high” or “very high”.