School closed to all pupils

A CITY primary school has been closed to all pupils until after the Easter holidays after a number of Covid cases have forced staff into self-isolation.

In a letter sent home from Saint Mary’s Fields Primary School, head teacher Rebecca Dulieu said: “Whilst the number of cases remains relatively low, it has significantly affected staffing levels due to the number of staff now having to self-isolate.”

She added that the school’s safeguarding team, first aiders team and premises/cleaning team have been “significantly affected”.

The letter said: “After discussions with the local authority and chair of governors, we have taken the difficult decision to close the school to all pupils for the final week of term as it would not be safe to open with the number of staff available. This decision has been taken on the grounds of health and safety.”

The letter, sent to parents and carers on Sunday, added that pupils who would need to self-isolate will be informed separately.

A parent told the Mercury: “The first thing you hope is everybody is okay but the school hasn’t actually said how many cases there have been and whether it’s staff, kids or both.

“It’s a bit gutting because everyone was really excited about being back after such a long time and the teachers had been working really hard to catch everybody up. It’s a pretty big school and they’ve done really well to avoid this happening up to now.”

The school, in Compton Road, Rowley Fields, was one of the first in the city to close a bubble shortly after all pupils returned to school on March 8. A number of cases have been confirmed within the school community since.

Mrs Dulieu added: “I know that this will cause great frustration, but I want to reassure you that we have looked at all other options before reaching this decision for health and safety reasons.”

The 480-pupil primary will now be closed until Monday, April 12, after the Easter holidays.