Students in Macclesfield are set to remain home until at least March after the government announced this afternoon "it will not be possible" to reopen schools in England after the half-term break next month.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a final decision would depend on meeting vaccination targets, and schools would get two weeks' notice before they are due to reopen.

However, it is now anticipated that schools will not open their doors again until at least 8th March.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the decision would be "frustrating" for pupils, teachers and parents.

Since January, schools have only been open to those deemed vulnerable or to children of key workers.

The PM said today: "I know how frustrating that will be for pupils and teachers who want nothing more than to get back to the classroom - and for parents and for carers who spent so many months juggling their day jobs, not only with home schooling but meeting the myriad other demands of their children from breakfast until bedtime."

He added that there was not yet enough data to decide when to end the lockdown, but pupils returning to schools would be "the first sign of normality".