School brings back Covid measures as cases spike
SECONDARY LIAISES WITH PUBLIC HEALTH OVER INFECTION RATES
A LARGE East Riding secondary school has reintroduced tough Covid safety measures after taking advice from Public Health after seeing infections rise in the past ten days.
South Hunsley School and Sixth Form College in Melton has written to parents to notify them that masks will be brought back in for communal areas and assemblies will be moved online to limit the mixing of pupils after soaring numbers of pupils testing positive.
Headteacher Richard Williman wrote to parents and said: “After liaising with Public Health, I am writing to inform you that – due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in our school community within the last 10 days – we have been advised to introduce some additional control measures in line with our risk assessment and contingency planning. This is also in line with national guidance.”
He said mask wearing in communal areas will be reintroduced from Monday, but children will not have to wear them in lessons, unless they choose to.
He added: “In addition, we have taken the decision to move our assemblies online to reduce the amount of time mixed year groups are sat together indoors.
“We understand that this remains a worrying and frustrating time for many parents and students and we will continue to work closely with Public Health. Our students have made an excellent start to the academic year and, with these enhanced measures, we hope to minimise any future disruption to their education.”
He also reminded parents about the need for their children to use Lateral Flow Tests twice a week and said additional cleaning staff will carry on for the time being to ensure surfaces are regularly cleaned.
The school also introduced oneway systems and staggered break and lunchtimes earlier this year as part of Covid-safe measures.
A spokesperson from East Riding Council, said: “East Riding Council’s education team, working alongside public health, are continuing to collate the data on the number of Covid-19 cases in schools across the East Riding as they are reported in as a notifiable disease.
“Across the East Riding, there continues to be a high number of Covidd-19 infections, many in the community, and on occasion this will impact pupils. The number of cases for individual schools is confidential to protect school communities.”