Pupils at Holy Cross Primary School in north Belfast began the new school term today in the absence of any protest.
Loyalist residents in the area insisted there were no plans for a fresh protest.
The Catholic school became sectarian flashpoint last year when loyalists from Glenbryn staged a three-month picket in a protest against what they claimed was daily harassment from Nationalists in the Ardoyne area.
The chairman of the Holy Cross School Board of Governors, Fr Aidan Troy, today welcomed the fact that the pupils could attend in the absence of any protest.
"There is obvious anxiety in this area but we will be doing everything to ensure the first day of school goes smoothly," he said.
"There is a fair degree of apprehension because the last two to three weeks have been very unstable along the Alliance Avenue and Glenbryn interface," he said.
Democratic Unionist councillor Mr Nelson McCausland last night claimed Republicans were intent on stoking up tensions as the children returned to school. His claim came after an attack on loyalist homes in Glenbryn Park.
But the North Belfast councillor insisted Loyalists had made it clear they did not intend to restart the protest.
Additional reporting by PA