Hundreds of thousands of pupils will not return to schools and colleges as planned due to rising infection rates and the spread of the new Covid variant.

Announcing a U-turn on the planned staggered reopening, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said students in exam years will return to secondary schools a week later than planned, from January 11.

Other secondary and college students will go back full-time on January 18, he told Parliament.

And primary schools in a "small number of areas" where Covid-19 infection rates are the highest will not reopen for face-to-face teaching to all pupils as planned next week.

For the latest developments, follow our liveblog here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-tier-4-announcement-covid-restrictions-oxford/

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