COMMENT: It’s great to see schools reopening after so long

Lockdown learning online at home has proved no substitute for the classroom, while many children have also badly missed the social interaction with their friends.

Now, at last, they can look forward to getting back to some kind of normality and the routine of being taught in live lessons.

Of course, life is very different now compared to the last time many of them were at school.

The 'new normal' means year group bubbles, hand sanitising stations and antiviral fogging machines. There are one-way systems, staggered school days to reduce crowding and rigorous hand washing regimes.

At Henry Cort Community College in Fareham, face coverings are required to be worn while moving around the building - and students have to bring their own ‘Covid kit’ that includes a plain mask and a sealable plastic bag for storage, plus tissues and sanitiser.

All these measures are about reducing risk and enabling schools and colleges to reopen safely.

A lot of effort has gone into the planning of how schools operate in a post-Covid world. Yes, the risk can never be completely eliminated. But we hope that those parents still wary of letting their children return stop and consider the many advantages of them being back in such a familiar environment.

Their learning will benefit hugely (with catch-up sessions to get those who need them back up to speed, adapted curriculums and tests to identify knowledge gaps) plus there is a network in place to provide emotional and wellbeing support - and they'll get to see their mates again.