TWO schools near Ross-on-Wye will not reopen to all pupils tomorrow as planned, and will instead be partially closed.

Brampton Abbotts and Bridstow primary schools, in south Herefordshire, will have some classes in as normal, but others only open for the children of key workers and those who are vulnerable.

Until January 18, the following partial closure will run at Brampton Abbotts Primary School:

  • Inkpen Class (YR/1) open only for children of critical workers and vulnerable children
  • Donaldson Class (Y1/2) open to all children as normal
  • Dahl Class (Y3/4) open only for children of critical workers and vulnerable children
  • Ahlberg Class (Y4/5) open only for children of critical workers and vulnerable children
  • Rowling Class (Y5/6) open only for children of critical workers and vulnerable children

At Bridstow Primary School, the partial closure until January 18 will be:

  • Hedgehog Class (YR/1) open to all children as normal
  • Squirrel Class (Y1/2) open to all children as normal
  • Otter Class (Y3/4) open only for children of critical workers and vulnerable children on Monday to Wednesday, and open to all children as normal on Thursday and Friday
  • Badger Class (Y5/6) open only for children of critical workers and vulnerable children

The schools have not said why they have made these decisions.

Last week, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said primary schools and special schools would return from January 4.

He also said secondary schools would be reopening from the same date for vulnerable children and for the children of key workers.

The following week, secondary schools were told to reopen for years 11 and 13, and the remaining secondary pupils and college students would work from home initially and then return to face-to-face education from January 18.

Individual schools and colleges were said to be making their own arrangements to contact parents, carers and students to confirm the return date.

But since, education unions have urged the Government to “pause” a return to the classroom until the safety of staff and pupils can be guaranteed.

READ MORE: Live updates as Boris Johnson addresses the nation

In a joint statement, the GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, Unison and Unite unions said there is a “serious risk” of staff falling ill while the rate of infection is so high.

“Bringing all pupils back into classrooms while the rate of infection is so high is exposing education sector workers to serious risk of ill-health and could fuel the pandemic,” the unions said.

RELATED NEWS:

However Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who has made keeping schools open a top priority – said “the risk to kids is very, very small” and “the risk to teachers is no greater than it is to anyone else”.

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt called for immediate action to close schools, shut borders and ban household mixing, saying the situation was “off-the-scale worse” than previous winter crises faced by the NHS.

“In the face of exponential growth even waiting an extra day causes many avoidable deaths so these plans must now be urgently accelerated,” he said.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he hoped the Prime Minister would respond to the “clear calls for tough national restrictions” and also include the closure of England’s schools.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation at 8pm tonight (Monday).