Independent Education Union NSW ACT Newcastle organiser Therese Fitzgibbon said some non-government teachers felt torn.

"Nowhere else are you going to go to any workplace where 90 plus per cent of the people you come into contact with are not going to be vaccinated - and we know that it's spreading among kids and then people are taking that home," Ms Fitzgibbon said.

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"So it's a mixed time for them - they're keen to be back in the classroom, keen to be back face-to-face with their kids, but also very anxious about the implications about working with such a large proportion of the population that will be unvaccinated, in confined spaces, for many hours a day without any required social distancing."

NSW Teachers Federation regional organiser Jack Galvin Waight said some government teachers also had "mixed emotions".

"Our members love teaching and are excited to be face-to-face with their students," he said.

"However, they are also understandably anxious about their and their students' safety and are angry at the constant disrespect and lack of consultation by the state government."

The Department of Education's roadmap for returning to on-site learning under level three plus settings - which applies to schools in the Central Coast, Cessnock, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Newcastle and Port Stephens- specifies that schools will arrange students into cohorts, organised by either classes, grades or stages.

It says schools will put in place staggered recess and lunch breaks, start and finish times and drop-off and pick-up points to limit mixing between cohorts.

A department spokesperson said there was a "range of materials to support schools implement their cohorting plan", with 12 case studies covering all types of schools.

NSW Primary Principals' Association Lake Macquarie president Lee Saurins - who is also principal at Valentine Public School - said the department had provided "comprehensive" information, guidelines and support about the changes schools needed to make before reopening.

"Our primary principals are very, very excited about welcoming our children back and even though there has been that difference in one week in the dates, our schools are ready to receive our students," she said.

"There are very stringent guidelines that we must apply in our schools, but there was also the measure of principals knowing the contexts and complexities of their schools very, very well and adjusting what they do within their schools to meet the needs of their students and communities."

Mrs Saurins said principals were prioritising student wellbeing, mental health and socialisation and supporting all staff "through this significant period of change".

Mrs Saurins said Valentine students would be split into stages. After arriving in the morning students in each stage will go immediately to a designated area, which is also where they will play at break times.

She said at the end of the day, students would be split into their stages and then further into whether they were walking home, cycling home, going to after-school care, catching a bus or being picked up in a car.

"A teacher will walk that cohort to wherever they need to go and the teacher will be mindful that if there's another cohort leaving through that gate, they'll hold those children back until there's sufficient space and time to walk out together as a cohort.

"The teacher will make sure the bike riders from stage two don't mix with the bike riders in stage three."

Ashtonfield Public School has asked kindergarten to year two students to enter using one gate and all other grades to use any of the other three gates.

Students will exit with their cohort group through specific gates. Some grades will attend 8.45am to 2.45pm, while others will attend 8.55am to 2.55pm.

Mr Galvin Waight said the resources were not enough.

"The devolution of the department means each school is responsible for pretty much all COVID safe measures and for many schools this is extremely complex, with up to 1500 students present," he said.

"Bringing forward the staged return has put added pressure on teachers, principals and schools with staggered lunch times, drops off and separate cohorts logistically challenging and difficult to staff."

Ms Fitzgibbon said some non-government teachers were also concerned about the "lack of clear advice" from their employers about measures for ventilation, auditing of each school's physical spaces and ventilation and how to stagger entry, exit and lunchtimes.

She said some individual schools had informed their families about their own arrangements.

The department has released ventilation reports for each of its 2200 schools, as well as engaged engineering firm Steensen Varming to provide independent advice.

It advised "natural ventilation openings" such as windows and doors should be fully opened before and after school and windows opened during recess, lunchtimes and in classrooms using recirculating split air conditioning systems.

"If it is windy, hot, cold or raining then it may not be practical to fully open the windows or vents; however they should be open as far as reasonably possible without causing intolerable discomfort," it said.

Victoria is rolling out air purification devices and giving grants for shade sails.

Mr Galvin Waight said ventilation had "not been addressed adequately" and the federation had called for an audit more than three months ago.

"This failure to do so in a timely manner has left little time to ensure ventilation measures are safe," he said.

"Each school has been provided with a capacity, but often this doesn't coincide with class sizes and school space, meaning some students may be standing in corridors or forced outside.

"Clearly mitigating these risks during the audit are critical and we are particularly concerned for primary school settings, where mask wearing is not mandatory and the students are not vaccinated."

A Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle spokeswoman said each school would seek "where practicable and sensible" to minimise "any unnecessary physical interaction between students of different year groups on school grounds".

"Each school will advise any staggering of classes as relevant for their school, taking into considerations aspects such as duty of care for children, bus timetables etc."

She said the diocese would implement a range of measures to "ensure a layered approach to minimising risks".

"This includes use of masks, ensuring staff are vaccinated, considering how teaching may be able to be conducted in smaller groups or outside, wherever possible ensuring windows and doors remain open, providing additional hygiene supplies and enhanced cleaning measures," she said.

"The diocese recognises that maximising natural ventilation in our learning spaces is one of the most effective methods for minimising the spread of COVID-19.

"Accordingly, over the past 18 months our schools have been working in collaboration with the diocese's property and safety advisors, to assess the conditions of learning environments and where necessary, put in place measures to minimise risk."

All staff need to have received two doses of vaccine before returning to all school sites and eligible high school students are encouraged to be vaccinated.

Masks are mandatory for all staff and all secondary students - and strongly recommended for primary students - indoors and outdoors unless eating or exercising.

Mr Galvin Waight said the department decision not to prioritise teachers for vaccination meant some had been "left scrambling" before the return to schools and the November 8 deadline.

"This constant upheaval and disrespect has lead teachers to feel undervalued, overworked and angry," he said.

A department spokesperson said teachers "will not be penalised between October 18 and the public health order of November 8 if they have not been vaccinated".

They may be put on alternative duties if there is a legitimate reason why they haven't been vaccinated between these dates.

Ms Fitzgibbon said about one per cent of IEU members had opted not to be vaccinated and were liaising with employers about working from home or taking leave.

Some independent schools will welcome back additional grades next week.

St Philip's Christian College Port Stephens will open for kindergarten to year four students, plus years 11 and 12.

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