Back to school: How are pupils being kept Covid-safe?

The first healthy 12 to 15-year-olds in England and Scotland have begun receiving Covid jabs.

Across the UK pupils this age are being offered a single Pfizer dose to help limit further disruption to their education.

The government hopes that giving all healthy 12 to 15-year-olds a single dose of the Pfizer jab will help limit school disruption this winter.

Evidence suggests a single dose cuts the risk of catching the Delta variant by about 55%. It also reduces the chances of people getting very sick or spreading it to someone else.

The rollout of Covid vaccines to this age group has already begun in England and Scotland.

Invites are also being sent out in Wales this week, while in Northern Ireland teen vaccinations are likely to start in October.

The UK's chief medical offers said a second dose shouldn't be considered before the spring term.

The vaccine is already available for over-12s with underlying health conditions, or those living with others at high risk.

Across the UK, all pupils are encouraged to carry on taking twice-weekly lateral flow tests at home.

Pupils who test positive must isolate at home for 10 days.

The child - or their parents - will be asked to provide details about close contacts.

Children named as close contacts will be asked to take a polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) swab test.

But this term, unless they test positive themselves, they will not have to self-isolate.

It's hoped this will avoid whole classes being sent home.

The Sage group of scientists warned the government "it is highly likely" that high levels of coronavirus will be seen in schools in England by the end of September.

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also said reopening schools could lead to a rapid rise in Covid 19 cases.

But the former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said that it was right for children to have a "much more normal education experience" this term.

He said measures including the mass testing of pupils and staff could allow a "sensible balance".

Social-distancing measures have been relaxed for schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The responsibility to decide what common-sense measures are needed has largely been handed over to head teachers.

Depending on the layout and size of their school, some may decide to keep one-way systems and crowd-control measures in place.

In Scotland, more restrictions are being maintained.

On school premises, all staff must stay at least 1m (3ft) from pupils and colleagues.

Face coverings are no longer routinely advised for staff or pupils in schools England and Wales, although they are still recommended in crowded spaces such as on school buses.

But in Scotland, face coverings are required at least until the October half-term. And in Northern Ireland, they are required in class for the first six weeks of term at least.

The Department for Education has pledged to provide 300,000 carbon-dioxide monitors to schools in England from September - to help identify where airflow is limited and viruses may more easily spread.

The Welsh government is funding a £6m programme to increase air circulation and purity. Some 30,000 CO2 sensors and 1,800 ozone disinfecting machines will be made available.

If there is an outbreak, the Department for Education has also published a list of measures schools in England can consider, including:

It may also become necessary to temporarily reintroduce bubble groups and face masks in communal spaces in areas with higher Covid rates.

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

In Scotland, the government says exams will go ahead next year. National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams will be held in spring 2022 providing public health advice allows it. Course content will be reduced.