Parents have their say on primary school kids returning to school

direct to your inboxFans were thrilled to have First Dates back on screens last night - even if it did make us miss eating out. The Channel 4 hit returned for its 16th series and has moved from its usual London location to Manchester for the very first time.

Manchester Family Facebook page with plenty of cracking suggestions. They included everything from tying shoelaces, fastening their own buttons and learning to tell the time, to teaching basic manners and kindness."My daughter was so chuffed yesterday she can now zip up her own coat and put on and take off her own tops," said mum Reanne Murray.

Sign up to the M.E.N.'s Manchester Family newsletter for all the latest from school closures to ways to entertain the kidsParents are being reminded not to miss the deadline for primary school applications for children starting this September.Families across Greater MAnchester have until tomorrow, Friday, January 15, to submit their application to their local authority.If parents fail to apply, their child could miss out on a school place and with families dealing with so many issues and home

What do you think about the plans for parents to test primary children at home? Have you been asked permission for your child to have the test at secondary school? Let us know in the comments here, or share your views on our Manchester Family Facebook page. The plan at secondaries and colleges is for all pupils and staff to be tested before returning to school from lockdown - and then tested on a weekly basis.Once they are back in, if they are found to be a close contact of a positive case then

'needlessly' taking up spaces after some key workers said they'd been refused places for their children, despite working in schools and for the NHS.

the Manchester Evening News has reported on cases of pupils who have been refused places because schools do not have the space for them.Mr Wilkinson believes that this has been driven by the nature of the lockdown announcement and the changing circumstances of Greater Manchester's businesses."I think it put us all on the hop because it was so sudden but also more businesses are open now than there during the first lockdown," he said."We're also finding in lots of cases that employers don't are

direct to your inboxManchester council were 'blind' to the potential impact of approving a controversial 440-space temporary car park near a primary school, a court heard.A legal challenge has been brought against the council for allowing the site of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats to be kept as a pay and display car park for two years.

Manchester Evening Newsreported yesterday how some key workers said they'd been refused places for their children, despite working in schools and for the NHS. Under the rules set out by the government, only one parent needs to be a critical worker for a child to qualify for a place.

What do you think about the Education Secretary telling parents to report schools? What's been your experience of remote learning? Are you a teacher who's angered by the government's response? Let us know in the comments here, or share your views on our Manchester Family Facebook page. Lee, whose Facebook page ICT with Mr P, on which he shares light-hearted posts about school life, has become a massive hit with teachers and parents, added: "If anything, the whole pandemic has shown how Ofsted

Prime Minister announced last night that all schools and colleges will close to the vast majority of pupils from today as learning goes online due to England's new national lockdown.

Follow our dedicated live blog here The ones that are closed are providing places for key worker and vulnerable children, as they did during the first lockdown. If your child's school has closed, get in touch with us on our Manchester Family Facebook page here, let us know in the comments here, or email [email protected]. These are the schools that have closed by boroughMount Carmel RC, BlakleyOswald Road Primary, ChorltonSt Peter's Catholic Primary, WythenshaweBirchfields Primary,

direct to your inboxStockport MP Nav Mishra has called for primary schools in Tier 4 to remain closed while coronavirus infection rates continue to rise.Primary schools across London and in south east England are to stay shut following a government U-turn, due to the new variant of coronavirus driving sky-high rates.But Mr Mishra says if schools in those areas are not safe to open for the new term, then neither are those in areas under the toughest restrictions.This includes Greater Manchester

Follow our dedicated live blog hereThe ones that are closed are providing places for key worker and vulnerable children, as they did during the first lockdown.And some that were due to reopen later this week are warning parents they'll be staying closed.If your child's school has closed, get in touch with us on our Manchester Family Facebook page here, let us know in the comments here, or email [email protected] are the schools that have closed by boroughMount Carmel RC, BlakleyOswald

direct to your inboxIn a matter of hours, schools will be reopening their doors to begin the spring term, but thousands of teachers, support staff and parents don't know whether they should be returning or not.Earlier this week, the education secretary Gavin Williamson backtracked on earlier decisions and said secondary schools will have an extra week's holiday before a staggered return.Some primary schools in London were told not to reopen but then Mr Williamson performed another U-turn after

direct to your inboxBosses at an Oldham primary school say “it is not safe” for pupils to return tomorrow and they will not be opening.The ‘majority’ of teaching staff at Holy Trinity C of E School, in Dobcross, are not expected to return to school on Monday morning (January 4) as advised by their union.They are said to be acting on advice from the National Education Union that “it is not safe to return to work if a school is in a Tier 4 area”.As such, Holy Trinity will be closed to all but

direct to your inboxParents have been left angry and frustrated after Boris Johnson insisted that primary schools were safe despite ongoing pressure to keep them closed.Primaries are due to reopen in Tier 4 areas except London tomorrow despite growing concerns about a new variant of coronavirus.Unions, teachers and scientists have urged the government to delay the reopening to curb mounting transmission rates.

direct to your inboxPrime Minister Boris Johnson has said parents should send children back to primary school tomorrow 'in areas where schools are open'.His comments come as pressure mounts on the government to keep schools closed amid concerns over rates of coronavirus transmission.The National Education Union (NEU), the UK's largest teaching union, told its members that it is unsafe for them to go back to work on Monday.

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has called for the government to delay the reopening of primary schools or give the decision to local leaders to avoid 'chaos'. Greater Manchester's mayor outlined his position amid growing pressure on the government to keep schools closed tomorrow.