The “ambition” was for all primary school children to return before the summer holidays, the Department of Education said: this ambition is no longer feasible.

While we may welcome this change of heart, we, as parents and as a community, need to be concerned about the long-term impact on children’s education and wellbeing. We have children who are attending zoom-schools and a raft of online supports. Disadvantaged children have limited online access.

There are valid and strong arguments for looking closely at reopening schools. The poorest pupils suffer most under lockdown. Schools can be more effective spaces than home in some safeguarding cases. The same goes for the management of mental health problems amongst pupils.

The economy needs to open at some stage and managing risks will be a challenge until a vaccine is found. Risk needs to be mitigated, so why not start in schools? The simple answer is planning. Opening schools requires intense dialogue with partners (parents, teachers, local authorities, unions, etc.) - all must be closely and routinely consulted. Transparency must reign, with scientific evidence openly published.

In England advice has been shielded, forcing calls for better disclosure. For example, on the opening of Denmark’s schools, risk has been mitigated with lower class sizes than the UK, a teacher-pupil ratio of 10 to one, with learning groups of four pupils recommended. More teachers have been employed to facilitate this. There is strong and rigid social distancing practice, and handwashing in every classroom.

The government’s rushed proposals for a schools’ return are far from clear. We need a thought-through and trustworthy system, which engages all stakeholders and has full confidence of all the partners. Schools can and should be reopened, but only when it is safe to do so.