WORCESTER headteachers have said they are delighted to have students back as schools reopen this week, but some have voiced concerns there could be more disruption caused by Covid.

Gareth Doodes, headmaster of The King’s School in Worcester, said in a social media post to parents that he was welcoming back pupils, but they "remained agile" to a potential changing situation due to coronavirus.

"We've had two excellent and productive staff training days and we can't wait to see the children," he wrote.

"We're all hoping for big doses of normality but we'll remain agile."

Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has warned of a likely increase of coronavirus cases in the coming months as schools return and Professor Christina Page, a member of Independent SAGE, has been among those critical of the lack of ventilation for schools.

"It's not that schools are worse than other indoor places," Prof Page said.

"But they are an indoor place, and an indoor place that often has poor ventilation, that does have crowding, and that now has the single population that is the least vaccinated."

Neil Morris, headteacher of Christopher Whitehead Language College, also recently criticised guidance from the Department of Education for schools to consider outdoor lessons if five pupils who are likely to have mixed closely, test positive for Covid-19.

"Who wants to teach outside with freezing cold air (in the autumn)?," he said.

"Most of the kids and staff are frozen anyway, with windows and doors open, teaching kids with coats on.

"They (the government) don't seem to have a plan for schools coming back.

"I hate having to close our school, but it seems to me we will come back and around November, we will be in a crisis again."

Bryony Baynes, headteacher from Kempsey Primary School, said: "It is really lovely to see the children, everyone seems very settled, like we have never been away.

"At the moment I've asked (teachers) to keep windows and doors open.

"Moving forward, when the weather turns colder, that is a concern, but we are quite fortunate as we have good ventilation into classrooms.

"It is a situation with returning to normality, but trying to keep everything safe."

Lindsey Cooke, headteacher of Hanley Castle High School, said: "More so than any other year it is exciting to see children back.

"We only know the value of something when it is taken away.

"We are expecting carbon dioxide monitors, they haven't arrived yet, but we have monitors in some of our new classrooms. We are asking for masks to be worn in corridors.

"We have worked very hard on ventilation."

Asked whether 12 to 15-year-olds should be being vaccinated - after the UK's vaccine advisory body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, recently refused to give the green light - she added: "If a vaccine was available we would encourage children to get vaccinated.

"But it is a decision for students and their parents."