Hundreds of thousands of pupils face a delay returning to schools across London

Hundreds of thousands of pupils face a delay returning to many primary schools in England due to high rates of coronavirus.

The government is implementing a “contingency framework” in areas with very high rates of incidence or transmission of the virus – in many London boroughs and across the South East.

Children of key workers will still be able to attend, and early years provision will continue.

The framework says where primary schools need to, they should use remote education – by teaching online.

The closure of primary schools will be reviewed after 13 January and by 18 January, Boris Johnson has said.

The list of areas affected in London are:

Barking and Dagenham

Barnet

Bexley

Brent

Bromley

Croydon

Ealing

Enfield

Hammersmith and Fulham

Havering

Hillingdon

Hounslow

Kensington and Chelsea

Merton

Newham

Redbridge

Richmond-Upon-Thames

Southwark

Sutton

Tower Hamlets

Waltham Forest

Wandsworth

Westminster

Schools in 10 London boroughs will remain open under government plans. London is under tier-four restrictions following a spike in Covid-19 cases.