Coronavirus: Hitchin Boys' School closes due to positive test

Hitchin Boys' School, which has about 1,150 pupils, closed after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19

A secondary school has closed after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Hitchin Boys' School in Hertfordshire tweeted that a "significant number" of other staff were having to self-isolate for 14 days as a result.

It said it was "unable to open safely" on Monday and learning would be online.

Head teacher Fergal Moane said they were looking at introducing a mixture of remote and on-site learning for the remainder of the two-week period.

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The school, a state-funded academy, said it was made aware of the positive test on Saturday afternoon and liaised with Hertfordshire County Council and Public` Health England on its response.

'Close contact'

In a letter to parents, Mr Moane said it had been advised that only those who had been in "close contact" with the member of staff concerned would have to self-isolate.

He said the school had been identifying those people and "more staff are impacted than students".

In the "few cases" where pupils had closer contact with the staff member, parents had been contacted directly to ask their children to self-isolate.

"Unfortunately, the number of staff members who have been in close contact with the confirmed case is large enough that we will not have sufficient members of teaching staff on site to safely teach all students on Monday," he said.

He said the school was closed for the day to "put provision in place to move to a safe and sustainable approach" which would mean some teaching could resume at the school, with online learning continuing at other times.

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