How many pupils return to school in September will provide a poll on the public’s trust in Boris Johnson

The government underestimated how quickly people would take to lockdown, Kate Devlin writes

Headteacher Bernadette Matthews shows the PM, during his recent visit to St Joseph's primary in Upminster, measures being implemented to ensure children can return to school safely (PA)

This week the government will launch a new national advertising campaign. Not for a new product, not to urge businesses to prepare for Brexit, but to encourage parents to send their children back to school.

Boris Johnson has staked an enormous amount of political capital on his pledge to get every pupil in the classroom in September.

The prime minister has declared it a moral duty to get children back behind their desks.