Sheffield's National Education Union fear classes could end up combined due to staff shortages
It's as many teachers are having to isolate due to the Omicron coronavirus variant
With many primary and secondary schools resuming today across South Yorkshire, there's a fear that some classes could end being combined due to a lack of staff.
It's as there's been a rise in isolation cases because of the recent emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant this winter.
Simon Murch is from the National Education Union in Sheffield.
He says it's a tricky time for both teachers and pupils:
"Many more teachers are having to isolate.
"In the run up to the end of term last month, schools just didn't have enough staff to actually operate in the normal way.
"The numbers of supply teachers were dwindling as well, either because they were being booked by other schools, or because they themselves are having to isolate as well.
"Clearly, it was a problem before Christmas, but I'm guessing it's going to be much more of a problem in the New Year.
"I can foresee there being lots of disruption to students and therefore parents as well.
"Normally you'd have one teacher per class, but with the rising number of teachers having to isolate, classes were having to be combined before Christmas.
"It remains to be seen if this will continue or not in January."