Parents won't be fined for keeping children out of school after lockdown, Downing Street has confirmed.
Boris Johnson's official spokesman said parents will not be "penalised" despite announcing primary schools in England will begin to reopen from June 1.
Years R, 1 and 6 are expected to return to class first on June 1 at the earliest - followed by years 2, 3, 4 and 5 later in June if all goes well.
But many parents have questioned whether they'll be fined for keeping children out of school for fear of coronavirus.
Asked today if parents will face fines if they don’t send their children into school, the PM’s official spokesman told journalists: “The short answer is no, they won’t.
"Whilst we will not penalise for keeping children at home, once children are eligible to return to school we will strongly encourage them to do so."
It comes as the Government unveiled its most detailed plan yet for how it will begin to ease the country out of lockdown.
Non-essential shops will begin to reopen from June at the same time as primary schools - followed by limited reopenings of cafes, restaurants, cinemas and places of worship from July.
But the 60 page document does not include a date that families can expect to be able spending private time with their loved ones again.
"Much of what is desirable is not yet possible," it warns before adding, "a 'zero risk' approach will not work in these unprecedented times."
And it warns that while the phase for reopening pubs and hairdressers begins from July 4, it may take far longer than that for them to be open.
Secondary school pupils look unlikely to return before September. Only Years 10 and 12 are expected back in a limited way before the summer for some handover work.
In the meantime, however, the government will urge more key workers' children and vulnerable pupils who to attend school.
Many of them are not currently attending even though they're allowed to, with schools at 2% capacity.
