Poulton primary school says it may not be able to open on June 1 as per government guidance

Angeli Slack, headteacher of Carr Head Primary School in Poulton-le-Fylde, said the school may not be in a suitable position to increase the number of pupils safely by June 1.

In a televised address to the country on May 10, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped primary schools would reopen to pupils from Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on June 1 "at the earliest", if infection rates and the government's other tests at the time allow it.

However, in a letter sent out to parents on May 11, Mrs Slack stated the school was awaiting further information from the government to understand what this means for Carr Head.

Mrs Slack said: "Whilst we are all keen for things to return to normal, the safety of all involved is crucial and I will not knowingly put members of the school community at risk.

"Please rest assured the governors and I are working together to ensure that any increase in pupil numbers is well managed and in the best interests of the school community.

"Ultimately this may mean that we are not in a position to expand numbers in the manner the government indicated on June 1, 2020."

The school confirmed in the meantime it remains open only for children who cannot be safely cared for at home.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said there are a number of "difficulties" with the Government's guidance on safely reopening schools by June.

Addressing a virtual Education Select Committee, Mr Whiteman said: "If social distancing is as we understand it now - the two-metre rule to be applied in schools - there are very many schools that are saying it is simply impossible to achieve."

Mr Whiteman added that it is hardest to maintain social distancing, as well as good hygiene levels, with the younger year groups.

"Social distancing is going to be a massive problem," he said.

It comes after the Department for Education (DfE) issued guidelines on Monday which said primary school class sizes should be limited to 15 pupils and outdoor space should be utilised.

But Mr Whiteman said schools would struggle to accommodate the advised 15 pupils in their classrooms.

He said: "Our members are telling us that their building sizes on average would only accommodate classes of 10 to 12, rather than 15.

"So straight away we're getting into some real practical difficulties about whether the Government's ambition can be practically accommodated.

"Let alone all the fears that parents have about bringing their children back into school, and the fears of the workforce too."

Jenny Coles, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS), also expressed concerns about the June 1 date during the committee hearing, adding that a five or six-week lead in time was needed to prepare for a return to school.

She told MPs: "Getting that parental confidence, in terms of a phased return to school, will need a lot of work by central Government, local communities and local government.

"This is not going to be something that's going to be fixed by June 1. It's going to take a lot of weeks and a lot of work to do that."

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour's shadow education secretary, said the Department for Education guidance leaves school leaders unable to adequately plan for the reopening of their schools.

"There is still no realistic guidance for how social distancing will be kept in place with the age groups that will return first, how staff and families of children will be protected, or how class sizes of 15 will be achieved with the resources schools have," she said.

She added that the government must urgently bring together education unions and the teaching profession to create a workable plan for the reopening of schools, when the science indicates it is safe to do so.