Updated April 21, 2020 15:54:04

Photo: Most NSW students have been learning from home amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AAP: Dan Peled)

NSW's coronavirus curve is flattening, and the Premier Gladys Berejiklian is keen to get students back in classrooms.

Since she instructed parents to keep their children at home last month, around 95 per cent of students in the state have been learning remotely.

Term two begins in NSW on Monday, April 27, and while nothing will change in the first fortnight, there's plenty happening after that.

Here's what the future holds for children in public and private schools in Australia's worst-affected coronavirus state.

When will children go back?

The NSW Government has revealed that from May 11 — week three of term two — students will return to campus for one day a week.

However, that doesn't mean the floodgates will open.

"Initially it will just be a day a week, then progressively two days, and then we hope by the end of term two we'll be in a position to have students going back to school in a full-time capacity by term three," Ms Berejiklian said.

Breaking down the latest news and research to understand how the world is living through an epidemic, this is the ABC's Coronacast podcast.

Ms Berejiklian said scaling-up attendance to two days a week would be reviewed at the end of week three.

At this stage, it's hoped children will be able to go back full-time for term three, which begins on July 20, so there's still plenty of disruption for families ahead

How will the system work?

The staggered return will be handled differently by each school.

Ms Berejiklian said it would be up to schools to determine which students were permitted to return from week three.

The Government said families with multiple siblings should be helped where possible, and suggested organising students by house colours, or alphabetically.

"We want them to make sure they are having about a quarter of students on campus each day, but how they break that group up will be a matter for [schools]," NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said.

To reduce the risk of community transmission, Ms Mitchell said school drop-offs and pick-ups will be staggered in the morning and afternoon.

She also said recess and lunch breaks would take place at staggered times to avoid close congregations of students.

Are schools safe?

Health authorities say the highest risk of coronavirus transmission is among adults, which means teachers are likely most at risk by students returning to schools.

Ms Berejiklian said teachers would be given testing priority at coronavirus clinics.

"Already we have said to teachers who are vulnerable, who have a comorbidity or are of a certain age, please don't come to school physically, and that will continue," Ms Berejiklian said.

Ms Berejiklian said social distancing must be adhered to at all times by students, teachers and parents when school returned.

There will be extra cleaning in classrooms, more health equipment in sick bays, and students could also have their temperatures tested with forehead thermometers.

Ms Berejiklian also ordered parents to keep their children at home if they were sick or had even a minor "sniffle".

Topics: education, health, diseases-and-disorders, covid-19, schools, independent-schools, primary-schools, private-schools, public-schools, religious-schools, nsw

First posted April 21, 2020 10:29:49