THE government looks set to drop plans for all primary school children to return to school by the summer holidays as school bosses warn they cannot accomodate more pupils.

The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is expected to admit later today that not all primary school year groups will be returning to school by July.

The government's original plan had been for all primary pupils in England to spend four weeks in class before the summer break, but some schools say they are already full and cannot accommodate more children.

Department for Education guidance says school classes should be capped at 15 pupils, but some schools have admitted fewer pupils than this during the phased reopening for the school years Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

Schools have said they are limited by classroom sizes, the need for social distancing and inadequate staff numbers.

Reacting, headteachers' leaders said it had never been a practical possibility to open schools further.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he was not surprised the plan to bring back all primary pupils before the summer holidays appeared to have been dropped.

He said: "The 'ambition' to bring back all primary year groups for a month before the end of the summer term was a case of the Government over-promising something that wasn't deliverable.

"It isn't possible to do that while maintaining small class sizes and social bubbles, so we aren't surprised that the policy has been jettisoned."

'A huge disappointment'

Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner for England, said news that all primary school children would not go back before summer was "a huge disappointment".

She said: "I think it's a huge disappointment for those children who'd expected to go back into school before the summer now now may not.

"It does mean that the vast majority, probably about eight million children, very likely won't return to the classroom until September, which means that, again, there will be a huge variation in their learning over that period."

She said children will remain "isolated", with many living in "fragile" family environments.

"I hope that Government doesn't just write off this period," she said.

Ms Longfield also said she was "incredibly concerned" about the long-term impact on children's education and wellbeing.

"We know that there's a real variation in learning. We've got some children, more affluent children, especially those going to private schools, who are literally attending Zoom schools from nine till three in the afternoon with lessons as normal.

She added: "Children are isolated, missing their friends, real mental health concerns, and also concerns about safeguarding when they're at home."

Last night, Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted that secondary schools in England may not fully reopen until later than September despite saying coronavirus is "in retreat" across the UK.

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak with his Cabinet on Tuesday morning before Mr Williamson delivers a statement to Parliament on the wider reopening of schools.

On Monday, Mr Hancock unveiled plans for pupils and teachers across England to receive coronavirus testing to monitor the spread of the disease as classes resume.

With approval from parents and guardians, children will be tested to see whether they have Covid-19 or have had an infection in the past under the surveillance programme.

Mr Hancock is aiming to have up to 100 schools tested across England by the end of the summer term, with around 200 staff and children involved at each of those schools.