Parents of Staffordshire pupils are being reminded to continue to take sensible precautions to reduce the risks of Covid-19, as the new school year begins.

The rules around Covid-19 have changed to help minimise the impact on children's education.

Pupils must no longer self-isolate if they are a contact of someone with Covid-19, unless they start showing symptoms or test positive for the virus. Instead, they are being strongly encouraged to take a PCR test.

Face coverings are no longer needed in school, but pupils are being encouraged to wear them if they use dedicated school or college transport. Class and year bubbles have also ended, but schools may choose to keep some form of grouping in place.

It is hoped that these measures will put an end to the large amounts of pupils having to self-isolate due to being a contact of a positive coronavirus case. This will mean more children learning in the classroom.

Education leaders are also hoping that pupils and parents continue to take sensible precautions such as testing their children twice a week, to minimise Covid cases.

Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Education said: "The past 18 months have been tough for schools and pupils, and we hope to return to some sort of normality over the next school year.

"However, we must remember that Covid is still with us, and we must be vigilant and take sensible steps to keep Covid-19 levels low in our schools. This means parents continuing to do everything they can to stop the spread, including testing children twice a week and encouraging them to get vaccinated when they are eligible.

"Hopefully the changes to some of the rules will mean pupils spend more time learning in school. But it is still important that parents and the pupils themselves take the sensible precautions they can to help stop the spread."