British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he was "really pleased" by the work done to prepare schools for reopening next week, a test of his government after it failed to get children back to class earlier this year.

Johnson, whose Conservative government has come under fire for how it has tackled education during the coronavirus crisis, said it was "crucial" for all children to return to school and that he would look at medical evidence to see whether he should change the government's advice on wearing face coverings.