Home schooling in Greater Sydney to continue for two more weeks

Home schooling will continue for thousands of Greater Sydney students after the NSW Government declared the lockdown will continue for a further two weeks.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the extension of home learning as she announced this morning NSW had recorded 97 new cases of COVID-19.

"Based on the health advice, I said I would provide information on the lockdown," Ms Berejiklian said.

LIVE UPDATES: Sydney lockdown extended for two weeks

"And it always hurts to say this, but we need to extend the lockdown for at least another two weeks.

"That includes remote learning."

The order applies to schools in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

Ms Berejiklian said she hoped today's announcement would help parents plan ahead for home schooling arrangements.

"The reason why we want to provide that two-week period at least is so that parents who are teaching children or supervising children from home know that unfortunately for an additional two weeks at least, their children will need to learn from home," the premier said.

The NSW Government earlier set a target of a return to on-site schooling for Monday, July 19, but that has been dashed by the growing virus outbreak in south-west Sydney.

Ms Berejiklian also flagged home learning could continue beyond the next two weeks.

"We will know at the end of two weeks to what extent we need to extend the lockdown, whether there is any chance of face-to-face schooling," she said.  

"There are a number of issues we won't know until we have further data."  

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Children of essential workers will be allowed to attend school in person if necessary.

Thousands of school students started Term 3 yesterday learning from home.

Ms Berejiklian says "every provision will be put in place" to support Year 12 students and their families as they begin the HSC Trial Exams during lockdown. 

"The Education Department and Health are working very closely together to make sure Year 12 can be accommodated," she said. 

She said supporting Year 12 was made easier by most other school students staying home, with just one per cent attending class in Fairfield. 

She said parents and students should follow the advice of their principal, who would have a plan in place for their school. 

NSW schools outside of the non-lockdown areas have returned to class as normal.

Masks are mandatory for all staff and students in Year 7 upwards in schools for those attending.

That includes teachers in classrooms while they are teaching.

All inter-school events such as sports have been called off indefinitely, and school assemblies will not take place.

No parents are allowed on-site at schools.