Covid: What will school be like in the new term?

The autumn school term is about to begin in Scotland, and in the rest of the UK at the beginning of September.

It's hoped that this will be the most normal school year for pupils since the pandemic began - but the effects of Covid will still be felt.

Despite the general easing of Covid restrictions, some measures will remain in place in secondary schools for the first six weeks of term, as a precaution:

These rules will stay under review, and the Scottish government will give further advice to schools by the end of September.

Rules are also being changed to make it less likely that entire classes have to self-isolate if one student tests positive for Covid.

Pupils who test positive for Covid will still have to self-isolate for 10 days, as before.

But any schoolchildren aged 5-17 who are identified as close contacts will only have to self-isolate until they can take a PCR test and get a negative result. Children under five will be encouraged but not required to take a test.

The definition of who is a close contact is also being tightened up.

The system of "bubbles" - where children only mix within a fixed year or class group - has ended, and with it the need to stagger start and finish-times, or avoid groups mixing at lunch.

Face coverings are no longer advised for staff or pupils in school, although they're still recommended in crowded spaces such as on school buses.

Any pupil under 18 who tests positive for Covid will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and told to isolate. The child - or their parents - will be asked to provide information about close contacts at school and elsewhere, and their contact details, if known.

Under-18s who are named as close contacts will be asked to take a PCR test, but will not have to self-isolate unless they themselves test positive.

Secondary school pupils and staff are being asked to continue self-testing twice a week, beginning a week before the start of term. This advice will be reviewed at the end of September.

Schools have been told that from the beginning of the autumn term:

Read more about the rules in Wales

It's not clear what arrangements will be in place when pupils return after the summer.

The NI Executive has decided in principle to remove school bubbles and the requirement to wear face coverings in the classroom, but these plans have yet to be ratified.

No decision has yet been made on whether pupils will have to self-isolate if they are a close contact of a positive case.

Pupils in the UK have missed about a third of their learning time during the pandemic.

The government pledged £1.4bn to help schoolchildren in England make up for the loss.

This figure was heavily criticised by school leaders, who said it amounted to only £50 per pupil per year.

It also led to the resignation of Sir Kevan Collins - who had been appointed to oversee education recovery. He was reported as saying the figure needed was closer to £15bn.

Exams are expected to return in 2022 for GCSEs, A-levels and vocational qualifications in England.

But, unlike in the past, pupils are likely to be told which topics will come up, to ensure no one is disadvantaged by Covid disruption.

Plans won't be confirmed until later this year.

In Scotland, the government has yet to announce whether exams will return in 2022.

In Wales, the plan is for exams to go ahead, but to be modified to take account of the turmoil of the past two years.

Northern Ireland has also said that GCSE, AS and A-levels exams will take place next year, but with "significantly fewer" papers in each subject..