COVID-19: St Mary’s CE Primary School, Southampton forced to shut

Assistant headteacher of St Mary's CE Primary School Faye Bauck has confirmed that the school will now not reopen until November 2.

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She said that due to the "close contact" between the affected member of staff and others "we will not have adequate staffing levels to safely open the school".

She added: "Children and staff that share a bubble with this individual were informed immediately and have been advised to self-isolate for a period of 14 days as per the Department for Education’s guidelines."

Although being forced to shut at short notice, one of the weeks that the Ascupart Street school will be closed is over half term: October 26 - 30.

The assistant headteacher's statement added: "If your child has been identified as needing to self-isolate, you must ensure that they stay at home. The rest of your household do not need to self-isolate, unless your child develops symptoms.

"Due to the close contact between the affected member of staff and others we will not have adequate staffing levels to safely open the school.

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"We have no option but to close the whole school until Monday November 2.

"We will keep you updated and notify you if we have any updated advice from DfE (Department for Education) or PHE (Public Health England).

"Obviously, it is now vital that all families remain alert and continue to monitor closely the health of your children in these uncertain times.

"It would be good practice to take additional precautions such as taking your child’s temperature regularly."

Parents of children at the school have been reminded that pupils will be able to access remote learning. For more information, visit the school's website here.