The Stormont Executive has agreed that school pupils in P1-P3 will remain in class later this month instead of reverting to remote learning, Belfast Live understands.
But ministers have postponed making further decisions on the reopening of schools until a scheduled formal review of coronavirus restrictions is held next week.
Pupils in P1-P3 returned to school on Monday for the first time since before the Christmas break.
The Executive had previously planned that they would return to remote learning on March 22, when years 12 to 14 would go back to school.
But ministers agreed a change to the plan today during an Executive meeting.
Pupils in P1-P3 will instead remain in school on March 22, when years 12-14 are due to return, until the Easter break.
No date has been given for the return of the wider school population.
A decision has been postponed until a formal review of the current Covid-19 restrictions takes place on Tuesday, March 16.
The formal review date is part of the Executive's lockdown exit strategy, although ministers have said they might also agree on changes between these dates.
Before today's decision, Education Minister Peter Weir had wanted all primary pupils who had not yet returned to school (P4-P7) to resume classes on March 22.
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