Suffolk school remains closed after eight staff test positive for Coronavirus
The headteacher of Samuel Ward Academy has confirmed that it will stay closed to students on Tuesday, after "careful consideration".
Last updated 8th Sep 2020
Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill will be shut to students for a second day on Tuesday 8 September, after it was confirmed eight staff members had contracted COVID-19.
Following advice from Public Health England, the site has undergone a deep clean.
School bosses say the campus will re-open when they are "ready to do so".
The Academy previously described the closure as a "precautionary measure" - a number of other staff members are awaiting results from their Coronavirus tests.
People who had been in close contact with any of the infected teachers, including 90 students, have been asked to self-isolate for two weeks.
'I share the disappointment'
Andy Hunter, the headteacher, said: "With careful consideration, we have decided that Samuel Ward Academy will remain closed to students tomorrow, Tuesday 8th September.
"Remote learning was in place for the children today and will again be tomorrow. I share the disappointment of parents and children with this disruption to the start of the school year, but everyone’s safety is our priority.
"We have not had any news about any cases amongst children in either the classes that are self-isolating or more widely.
"Following successful contact tracing and a deep clean of the school today, Public Health England confirmed the school could re-open when it is ready to do so.
"My team and I made the decision that the school should remain closed tomorrow (Tuesday) as we have a number of staff who are awaiting a test result. We want to keep them away from the school until the results of the tests are known".
The school is expected to re-open to some year groups on Wednesday 9 September, but that will be confirmed by 17:00 (GMT) on Tuesday.