School is back -- but it will be a bit different this year

Most students will return to school this week, under the Red Traffic Light restrictions.

Teachers will need to be vaccinated, and teachers and pupils Year Four and above will have to wear masks indoors.

Liam Rutherford -- the President of primary teacher union NZEI -- says schools are bracing for having large numbers of students and staff isolating as contacts or with Covid.

He says nobody's heading into the year thinking they'll have full student and staff numbers in the first six months.