Hartlepool primary school closes for more than a week after outbreak of Covid among staff

Parents and carers were asked to collect children from Fens Primary School in Mowbray Road on Monday, January 11, after announcing the closure.

It is owing to a number of positive cases of the virus in non-teaching staff, leading to insufficient senior staff as they are self-isolating.

Like all primary schools, Fens had only been open to vulnerable children or those of adults classed as key workers.

Headteacher Peter Cornforth said in a message on the school’s website: “Unfortunately, owing to positive cases amongst non-teaching staff, and the need for school leaders to isolate, it will be necessary to close the school for a number of days as the school cannot be opened safely without senior staff trained to the required level of responsibility.

“The school will close today, and will re-open on Wednesday 20th January. Your children do not need to isolate as they have not had contact with the personnel involved.

"Teaching staff will continue to work remotely from home and your children will have access to the work they would have been completing in school on our home learning platform ‘eSchools’.

"We apologise for this inconvenience, but the safety of your children has to take priority.”

Hartlepool Borough Council used social media on Monday to ask parents and carers to collect their children as soon as possible.

In the latest published figures Hartlepool recorded 65 new cases on Sunday, January 10, and 762 in the seven days up to January 3.

Related story: Calls for teachers to be given higher Covid jab priority

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