TWO more high schools in East Lancashire have told parents that they have confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Officials from Queen Elizabeth Grammar School posted an update on their website on Friday night.

It said: "After seeking advice from Public Health England and the Local Health Protection Team, we regret to inform parents and carers that the Year 5 and Year 10 bubbles will close from the end of the school day on Friday 11th September 2020.

"We are taking this swift action following one confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in each of these year groups.

"Pupils in Year 5 and Year 10 must now self-isolate for 14 days and resume remote learning, returning to school on the 28th September 2020.

"It is the choice of the parent/carer whether to take their Year 5 or 10 child for a COVID-19 test if they are not showing symptoms.

"However, if they are showing symptoms, they must be tested and you must notify the school of the outcome of the test as soon as possible.

"If you do have a child in Year 5 or Year 10, and a sibling in a different year group, the sibling must still attend school as normal, unless they develop symptoms of COVID-19.

"As a reminder to all parents/carers, if your child or anyone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19, your child must not come into school and must get a COVID-19 test at the earliest opportunity."

Meanwhile, James Kerfoot headteacher at Accrington Academy sent a letter to parents and carers about a case in their school.

It said: "At present, we have one member of the school community who has tested positive for Covid-19 within our 6th form bubble

"As soon as we became aware of this, we contacted PHE for its advice and guidance.

"PHE has advised us that only those students and staff who have been in very close and prolonged proximity to the individual need to isolate.

"The very few students that this applies to have been contacted and will isolate at home as a precaution.

"They will all log into Google classroom and continue learning from home as of Monday. I spoke to them all along with the whole 6th form and they were positive and calm.

"To be clear, this is a single, isolated case that has occurred.

"There is no evidence that it was caught in the school or that anyone else in the school is infected.

"PHE’s advice is very clear: unless you have been contacted directly to say your child must isolate, every student should continue to come to school as normal so we will be welcoming everyone back to continue learning on Monday other than the very few students I spoke to today.

"These are very important weeks for all our students as we begin the academic year.

"So, it is reassuring that, due to the social distancing plans we have put in place, the impact of this single case can be minimised.

"We all need to remain highly vigilant however even though the risk to young people is very small."

Yesterday the Lancashire Telegraph reported about Year Year 9 and 10 pupils at Blackburn Central High School were told self-isolate for 14 days after positive tests among students, following Year 7, which was sent home earlier this week after a pupil was found to have the virus.

Meanwhile Years 8 and 9 at Witton Park Academy in Blackburn were also sent home yesterday.

Also yesterday morning, parents of pupils at Mount Carmel High School in Accrington were told that their Year 7 pupils should stay away after a pupil tested positive for coronavirus.

School bosses said they were asking all students in the year group to remain at home as a ‘precautionary measure’.

The Valley Leadership Academy, formerly Fearns, in Stacksteads, sent Year 11 pupils home after one tested positive for the virus.

At Blackburn’s Pleckgate High School some class ‘bubbles’ have been affected after two pupils tested positive.

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School has also reported a student had been sent home due to contracting the virus.
 

Barnoldswick Coates Lane Primary School recently confirmed the positive case at the school, but did not make clear whether it was a student or a teacher.

Unity College, Burnley

More than two dozen pupils were sent home to self-isolate after a child tested positive for coronavirus on the first day of school last week.

Unity College in Burnley confirmed a Year 7 pupil contracted the virus on September 2.

It was the first day many children were returning to the classroom after a six-month absence.

In a statement on the school's website, Headteacher Mrs Sally-Jane Cryer said: "At the start of the afternoon of Wednesday 2 September 2020, I was contacted by a parent of a child in year 7 to inform me that the year 7 child has tested positive for Covid-19.

"The boy and his family have been part of the government's track and trace pilot and are tested weekly. The parents do not have the virus but the year 7 child does have it.

"The boy has had no symptoms at all.

"The college took immediate action and isolated the boy and his family collected him immediately.

"The parents of all the other students in the child’s bubble, 25 year 7 students in total have been contacted and all 25 have been sent home this afternoon and told to self-isolate for 14 days."

One class from St Anne’s and St Joseph’s School in Accrington must stay at home until September 21 in line with government guidance.

It is not known if the positive test, which was confirmed on Monday, came from staff or a pupil, but all students who have come into contact with the infected person must now self-isolate for 14 days.

It is understood that the affected class is a mix of years five and six containing around 24 pupils.

St. Christopher's C.E High School in Accrington has remained open despite the two cases, urging parents to keep children at home for at least 10 days if they develop symptoms.

The two students are experiencing very mild symptoms of the illness and are not thought to be particularly unwell

A spokesman for the school said: "We have been made aware earlier today that two children in our school community have tested positive for COVID-19.

"Currently they are feeling well, but I am sure that you will want to remember them in your prayers over the coming days."

St Cecilia's Roman Catholic High School in Longridge closed to some pupils after a member of staff tested positive for coronavirus.

They have also asked 12 other staff to self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution.

Meanwhile, officials at St Albans Primary School posted on social media four days ago.

It said: "Attention: Our year 2 bubble has to close today. This does not affect any other teaching bubble, and siblings of year 2 children should attend school as normal, unless they are displaying symptoms- in which case they must be tested.

"Any positive result must be told to school immediately. 

"Miss Noden will be updating the school website soon with home learning resources."

 - Have your children been told to go home due to positive cases of coronavirus email robert.kelly@nqnw.co.uk.