Covid-19: Northamptonshire schools close and 3,500 pupils sent home

Northampton International Academy said it was "well prepared" for a closure due to coronavirus

About 3,500 pupils have been sent home until November after four schools in Northamptonshire closed due to Covid-19 cases.

Northampton International Academy has closed after "a small number of people" tested positive.

St James CE Primary and Weston Favell Academy in Northampton, and Henry Chichele Primary in Higham Ferrers have also shut.

Most schools in the county are due to have a half-term break next week.

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The county's director of public health Lucy Wightman said she was "very pleased" most schools remained open.

Northamptonshire is on tier one (medium alert) in the three-tier lockdown system in England.

Ms Wightman asked parents to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines during the break with meet-ups only taking place outdoors and no sleepovers.

Weston Favell Academy, a secondary school with more than 1,300 pupils, said it had closed "as a result of the self-isolation precautionary measures".

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Northampton International Academy, which opened in 2016 and has both primary and secondary age pupils, said the positive coronavirus cases "represents a tiny fraction of the school population".

A spokeswoman for the school, which also has more than 1,300 pupils, said it was "well prepared for this eventuality" and would "deliver lessons remotely".

St James CE Primary told the parents of its 450 pupils it had closed "as of immediate effect".

Henry Chichele Primary, which has 360 pupils, told parents on Sunday it "had no option but to close" after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus.

It said "a high number of key personnel" would have to self-isolate for 14 days.

Manor School Sports College in Raunds has sent home 35 of its 1,000 pupils, and St Mary's CE Primary Academy in Burton Latimer has sent home Years 1 and 2 after positive Covid-19 tests, but both remained open otherwise.