Covid: Suffolk school self-isolations due to community spread

Thousands of school children were told to stay at home during the last week of term

An increase in self-isolating school staff and students in Suffolk was down to community spread of coronavirus, according to a county education leader.

Suffolk County Council's assistant director for education and learning, Adrian Orr, said there had been a "real rigour" in school Covid-19 protocols.

About 2,600 students and staff had been forced to self-isolate in last week's final week of term.

Mr Orr said schools had "been really driven" to protect children and staff.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said there was no prevalence of infection spread in any particular type of school, bubble size or building, and Covid protocols remained as stringent as ever.

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"Having been out and about with schools in the last few weeks and meeting parents and governors, what I saw first hand was a real rigour in schools of different sizes," Mr Orr said.

"Schools have been really driven on that to protect children and protect staff, but of course children at half three, four o' clock every day go back out to their families."

He said there had not been any complete school closures, but some bubbles had to isolate.

"There was a genuine disappointment that not everybody could get to the end of the school year," Mr Orr added.