Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "This is a worrying time for schools. As always, the safety and wellbeing of pupils, staff and families is the number one priority. Given the level of uncertainty about the new variant, we are pleased the government is taking a precautionary approach. It only makes sense for the requirements for face masks in schools to match the rules for the wider population. It's good that the government has moved swiftly to give clarity to schools and parents about the new mitigations."