Coronavirus: Downham Market school able to stay open for hundreds of children after positive test

Having found out a pupil had tested positive for coronavirus last night, a West Norfolk primary school was able to remain open for most classes today.

Hillcrest Primary School was informed a Year 6 pupil had tested positive, which meant 26 children stayed at home today. They accessed their learning remotely through Google Classroom.

The Downham school is confident the Year 6 class will be able to return as normal on Monday following discussion with the Norfolk Outbreak Management Team.

Headteacher Matthew Try said the student concerned was last at school four days before his symptoms started.

Mr Try added: "As each class has been acting very independently of one another since we returned in September, we were therefore able to prevent any disruption to any of our other 17 classes and it was a normal school day for most.

"Had the child have been in contact with the class within the 48 hours leading up to his symptoms starting, then we would have had no choice but to ask the whole class to self-isolate for a longer period.

"We took precautionary action today to ensure that all of the Hillcrest pupils continue to be cared for as safely as possible and for a school of over 500 children and 60 staff, it has been a tremendous effort to get so far through the Autumn Term without a positive Covid case up until this point."

He added that many other children could have missed school if it was not for the prompt actions of parents to self-isolate their child the moment another household member developed symptoms.