Advice given by the government's team of science experts says that reopening schools next month still carries "some risk". But it says that evidence on how likely children are to transmit coronavirus remains "inconclusive".
The evidence on the safety of schools reopening was provided to ministers by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) to inform government policy.
The release of the information comes amid rising tensions between ministers, council leaders, teachers and parents. Wider issues - including whether families have black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) members - must be taken into account when assessing the impact of relaxing school closures on transmission, according to papers from SAGE.
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