Kent County Council has moved swiftly to ask a Maidstone school to review its decision to stay shut at the start of next term for fear of Brexit chaos.

Mark Tomkins, the headmaster of Maidstone Grammar School, announced yesterday that his pupils would stay at home on January 4 and 5, because "queues on the M20 brought on by Brexit could see teachers late for work and pupils having to be sent home."

He implied he was acting on advice from KCC.

But today a spokesman for KCC said: “We issued guidance to all Kent schools, advising them to plan ahead in case of any disruption that could occur during the Brexit transition period.

“Our advice covered a range of practical management issues.

“We specifically advised them to check which staff might be affected, before they are affected, and consider alternative transport arrangements, such as walking, cycling, train, bus, and car share.

“The advice stated that the impact of the end of the transition period would be more likely on the M20 and M2/A2 corridors, and in and around the port areas.

“However, we did not anticipate or intend that any school should plan closure in advance of seeing the impact of the transition period and we have not been informed of any other school in Kent that intends to do so.

“We are therefore asking Maidstone Grammar School to review its decision to close for the first two days of next term.”

Boris Johnson will fly to Brussels today to try to reach a breakthrough on a post-Brexit trade deal over dinner with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

The end of the transition period is December 31.

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