Children will not return to school next month and may not return to class until after the Easter holidays

Education leaders believe some schools may not fully reopen by May

Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, is expected to rule out the return of children to class this week after the mid-February holiday and will prepare parents for the prospect of many more months of home schooling.

Although he did not set an exact date for schools to reopen, educational leaders said they did not expect them to reopen fully by mid-April or by May.