Mansfield Woodhouse school set to reopen after day-long closure due to Covid-related staffing pressures

St Edmund's C of E Primary and Nursery School head Nadeem Shah said he had to take the “regrettable decision” after some staff had to self-isolate.

In a letter to parents on Sunday, he wrote: “Throughout the weekend I have been contacted by more and more members of our staff team who have been notified by NHS Track and Trace that they must isolate following potential contact with people in the public domain who have tested positive for covid-19.

" There is no flexibility in this, these members of staff have a legal requirement to isolate following their notification.

"Therefore we are forced to temporarily close all of our classes in school, as we cannot operate in a safe manner with that many supply agency staff to cover the numerous unavoidable staff absences.”

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He told the Chad the school was “strictly following national government public health guidance” and working with Public Health England following confirmation of “a small number of positive cases among pupils and staff.”

The school fully re-opens for a number of classes tomorrow (Tuesday).

Mr Shah said “The small number of pupils who still need to isolate, identified as a close contact, have received letters and their isolation will continue for the agreed period.

“Throughout the disruption Covid has caused, the school has been providing a considerable amount of online learning for all children who are having to carry on their learning at home and has provided children with workbooks to use alongside the online resources,” he said.

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“I’m deeply saddened to have had to close the school at such short notice and we appreciate the inconvenience caused to pupils and families. We’d like to thank them for their support and reassure them that we want to continue to ensure the safety of our children, staff, and their families.

"We continue to undertake all Covid-19 secure measures in line with government and local guidelines and health protection advice. Anyone who is symptomatic or a close contact of a positive case, should isolate and take a PCR test or the close contact of a positive case. Adults and secondary school aged children are encouraged to undertake routine LFD tests.”

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