Covid-19: Teachers isolating more of a concern, head says

Many secondary schools in Northamptonshire have reintroduced masks in communal areas

Staff isolating with Covid-19 was "more of a concern" than high numbers of pupils off school, a head teacher said.

Northamptonshire has some of the highest case rates in England, driven by cases in the 10 to 19-year-old age group, health officials said.

Many secondary schools have reintroduced masks in communal areas, and 12 to 15-year-olds have been urged to get a Covid jab.

Iain Massey, from Sponne School, said absences were "massively disruptive".

The head teacher at the school in Towcester said: "It's really hard when we're meant to put on as good quality remote learning as we are for the learning that takes place in school.

"How can teachers do both at the same time? That's really hard to do."

He said the Sponne's pupil absence had been about 1.5%, but other secondary schools in the county had seen rates above 10%.

'Testing really important'

Mr Massey told BBC Radio Northampton: "Even more of a concern for schools is when staff catch Covid and have to isolate for 10 days.

"If staff are off and you get to a certain number it's almost impossible to cover their lessons."

But he added the majority of schools in Northamptonshire were "working in an almost normal way".

Covid case rates in Northamptonshire districts

Kettering has had the highest rate of new Covid-19 cases in the country

In the week to 1 October, Kettering had the highest rate in England, with 902 cases per 100,000 people, but this was a week-on-week fall of 11%.

Daventry had the sixth-highest rate with 623 cases per 100,000 people, a 10% week-on-week increase, but Corby saw an 18% fall in case rates to 589 per 100,000 people, which was still the 10th-highest rate.

Northampton, with 573 cases per 100,000, and Wellingborough, with 567 cases per 100,000, were also in the top 20 districts for case rates in England, and both saw case rates rise week-on-week.

East Northamptonshire's case rate rose by 19% week-on-week and was inside the top 60, but South Northampton saw a 15% fall in case rates and was the 140th-highest in England.

Kardi Sommerfield has two daughters, aged 14 and 18, in school in Northampton.

She said her eldest daughter tested positive the day after her 18th birthday and about two weeks after receiving the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Ms Sommerfield said her 18-year-old had no symptoms and the diagnosis was down to the regular twice-weekly testing required by secondary schools.

"It just shows the testing is really important," she said.

Kardi Sommerfield's 18-year-old daughter found out she has Covid-19 though her regular lateral flow testing

She said the family were not sure where her daughter might have caught Covid-19.

"It's difficult with teenagers, she wasn't going out loads, so we have no idea," she said.

Public Health Northamptonshire said it was urging young people to get the vaccination when offered, and Ms Sommerfield said her daughters were "totally open to being vaccinated".

"There hasn't been any negative push back," she added.

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