[ad_1]
Two schools were forced to close just days after reopening last week when staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, while an entire year-old group was forced into isolation at another school.
A school in Suffolk and another in Norfolk closed just days after reopening for the fall term after staff members tested positive for coronavirus.
And throughout the year seven students at a Manchester high school have been forced to self-isolate after a single positive case of coronavirus.
Old Buckenham High School, near Attleborough, was forced to close after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus.
Old Buckenham High School, near Attleborough, (above) has been forced to close a few days after reopening last week, as a staff member tested positive for coronavirus.
Parents received only a few hours’ notice and had to hastily make plans to keep their children home after the Norfolk school announced the closure on its website Sunday night.
Some parents planning to return to work today had to contact their boss at 11 am to tell them that they could not enter.
Old Buckenham said: ‘Due to a staff member testing positive for Covid 19, Old Buckenham High School will be closed on Monday the 7th.
‘We apologize for the late delivery of this information, however we have only recently become aware of the situation. More information to follow ‘.
The coeducational school, with 530 students ages 11-16, had reopened for the fall term on Friday.
The news came hours before most of the Norfolk students returned to school, many of them for the first time in several months.
Principal Andrew Fell added: “ While it is regrettable to close the school on Monday, this incident has shown that the systems are in place and working to quickly address any Covid-19 related issues.
“The school will be thoroughly cleaned on Monday and decisions on reopening will be relayed to parents / careers as soon as possible.”
The government guidance does not specify that schools should automatically close if a staff member contracts the virus.
But if a staff member tests positive, the class or group ‘within their educational or child care setting’ should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days.
For all of year seven, students at Buile Hill Academy in Pendleton, Salford, (above) are self-isolating until September 18 after a student was confirmed to have Covid-19
Sapientia Education Trust CEO Jonathan Taylor said: “While we regret the further disruptions, we are working with colleagues at Public Health England to take all necessary steps to plan for the school to reopen.”
This comes as an entire one-year-old group at Buile Hill Academy in Pendleton, Salford, has been forced into isolation until September 18.
The students had only returned for three days after the academy opened last Wednesday for Year 7 students.
Principal James Inman sent a letter to parents yesterday saying that a person in the ‘year 7 bubble’ had tested positive for Covid-19, adding that the parents of the affected children would be contacted by phone.
Mr Inman wrote: “The school is working closely with the Salford Public Health England team to reduce the risk of infection for your children and our staff.”
Pupils at the Manchester school, which is undergoing a deep cleaning, will be able to return after 18 September if they do not show any symptoms.
Inman said that all ‘household members’ in the positive case will isolate themselves, adding that the children cannot leave their homes or be visited by others during the period of isolation.
He added: ‘Comprehensive remote learning will be available to all Year 7 students during this time and more details will be provided tomorrow on how your child can access this.
Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill, Suffolk, has closed today after at least five staff members contracted coronavirus
“Only your child needs to isolate himself, other family members from the contact do not need to isolate himself.”
Whether the case concerns a student or a staff member has not been confirmed.
In a separate letter sent to parents of Year 8, 9, 10 and 11 students, the school said Public Health England had warned that it would not need to close with all other students who were told to go to school normally. .
Another school also closed today after five teachers tested positive for coronavirus, with more staff awaiting test results.
The students had started returning to Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill, Suffolk, last Thursday, but classes in Years Nine and 11 were due to begin their first day back today.
The school said in a statement that the closure was a “precautionary measure” and expected to reopen Tuesday.
Principal Andy Hunter said: ‘The safety of the students and everyone who works at the school is my highest priority.
‘Obviously this is a huge disappointment after working so hard to get the school up and running again.
“ I will take a close look at the systems we put in place to try to understand how the transmission occurred and make sure that we do everything we can to limit the chances of the same thing happening again.
“I am very disappointed by this interrupted start to the school year.
Yesterday, the UK recorded its highest number of daily Covid-19 cases since May, after 2,988 were reported in just 24 hours.
‘We have taken very important precautions.
‘We were delighted that the quarter had started so well last week and we were really looking forward to the groups from the last two years starting (on Monday).
‘But I have had excellent support from Public Health England, Public Health Suffolk and Suffolk County Council.
“We are determined to do everything possible to stop the spread of the virus and we agree to the precautionary action to close the school (Monday).”
A deep cleaning will be done at the school.
Anyone who has been in close contact with the infected staff has been contacted and asked to isolate themselves for 14 days, the school said.
Contact tracing will continue and more students and staff may be asked to self-isolate.
Stuart Keeble, director of public health for the Suffolk County Council, said: ‘It is understandable that this news concerns parents across Suffolk, but it is important to remember that the risk of children contracting Covid-19 is still very small.
“Evidence suggests that children are more likely to get Covid-19 at home.”
