THURROCK Council is promoting a new video for children as a way to help them settle back into going to school as the borough's classrooms begin to reopen to a wider number of pupils next week.

Though many schools have continued to host a number of vulnerable children – and pupils whose parents are key workers – a larger return to school begins next week after half term when nursery, reception, year one and year six children start back.

Thurrock's cabinet member for education Cllr Andrew Jefferies says: "I highly recommend parents watch this superb cartoon with their children. It's bright, fun and easy to watch while being very informative and reassuring. It will certainly help parents explain what is happening and give children a confidence boost and all the useful information they need to safely return to school and see their friends again.

"Teachers have been working incredibly hard to make sure that schools can re-open safely. I have met with a number of them and been tremendously impressed with the care, dedication and hard work they have all put in to making sure the majority of young pupils can return to school from next week. They have truly put the safety, well-being and education of young children first.

"It is impossible to overestimate how hard teachers and school staff have been working throughout this situation, especially over the last few weeks as they prepared to re-open. I would just like to thank them all and pay tribute to everything they have done.

"This is an important milestone on the path back to normality and it's important for our children's development that we support children and young people in the borough to return to their educational settings."