Cornish school closes for a week as a Covid circuit breaker
Another has sent year groups home due to staff absences
Last updated 1st Feb 2022
Schools in Cornwall have had to close or send entire year groups home due to the number of staff and children testing positive for covid.
Trewirgie Junior School in Redruth shut yesterday for a week as a “circuit breaker” with children asked to complete remote learning at home before they return to school on Monday (Feb7).
And St Mewan Primary School in St Austell has asked all children in years 2 and 5 to stay at home this week due to the number of staff absences.
In a letter sent to parents Trewirgie Junior School said: “We thank you for your continued support and understanding. This is not a decision that we have taken lightly but hope that this will enable us to continue through the rest of the term with minimal disruption.”
Another primary school has asked two year groups to stay at home this week for a “bubble closure” due to staff absence.
St Mewan School asked parents of children in years 2 and 5 to keep their children at home this week.
In a letter to parents the school stated: “Due to critical levels of staff illness, as a significant number have tested positive for covid and, after consulting with CELT leadership, we have taken the decision to move Year 2 and Year 5 to remote learning this week.”
The school also said that all extra curricular and after school clubs would be cancelled for the week due to the staff absences.
Lee Drake, who has children at St Mewan, said that she had been impacted by the school’s decision.
She said: “It’s affected me to the point where I am now receiving a test and trace payment to support myself and my children. I for one am annoyed about the restrictions being lifted and personally feel that we should have gone back to the tier system we had for areas with a high number of cases like here in Cornwall. I just hope we can all get through this together and hope the worst is over.”
Cornwall Council confirmed that there is currently just one school closed in Cornwall due to covid.
It is believed that a number of schools in Cornwall have been hit by staff and pupil absence due to covid however the council said that it was not keeping track of absence rates.
The authority did say that it was continuing to work with schools to ensure that they can continue to deliver lessons.
In a statement the council said: “One school in Cornwall is currently closed due to Covid-19. We don’t keep a rolling tally of staff and pupil absences but work closely with all education settings to maintain a safe environment to continue face-to-face learning.
“We continue to offer support and advice on dealing with Covid, as we have done throughout the pandemic. We are supporting schools with access to UKHSA guidance to help manage any increase in cases and have dedicated support available in the event of any outbreaks, clusters or situations requiring specific advice using risk assessments and contingency frameworks.”
The latest weekly data for covid-19 in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly showed that more than 30% of positive cases recorded in the week leading to January 25 were in the 0-19 age group.
News of schools being impacted by covid comes after it was revealed that more than 100,000 people in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly have now tested positive for covid since the start of the pandemic – that is one in five of the population.
And whilst the Government has relaxed restrictions Cornwall Council is encouraging people to continue to wear face coverings when in busy indoor public places such as shops and public transport.
Rachel Wigglesworth, director of public health for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “It’s good to see our daily lives return to some kind of normality, but it is vital that we don’t just abandon all the important measures, habits and routines that have helped us keep Covid at bay and save lives here in Cornwall.
“Passing the 100,000-case mark should serve as a stark reminder of how easily this virus can spread, and we should remember the severe impact it has had and continues to have on our residents, families and communities.
“So please remember, ‘just because you can, doesn’t mean you should’ and try to remain cautious and vigilant.”