A high school has had to ask year groups to learn from home one day a week due to Covid-related staff shortages.

Parklands High School has moved classes online for four of its year groups this week as a number of staff are unable to come into work due to the virus.

Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 pupils will all be learning from home one day of this week, with year 11 pupils able to attend their classes in person all week.

A statement on the school social media reads: "Unfortunately due to an increase in staff absence due to Covid, we will need to ask one year group per day to remain home and access online provision.

"Other year groups will be in school as normal."

Today (Tuesday, January 4) year 10 pupils are learning online, while year 9 pupils will be taught from home on Wednesday.

On Thursday, year 8 pupils will access their lessons online and Friday year 7 pupils will remain at home to access their classes.

After this week, it is expected that pupils will be back in the classroom full time.

This comes after new guidance was introduced on Sunday (January 2), asking secondary aged pupils to return to mask wearing in classrooms and twice weekly lateral flow testing.

As well as offering tests and enforcing mask wearing, Department for Education has also pledged to provide educational establishments with an additional 7,000 air cleaning units to improve ventilation in teaching spaces.

Meanwhile, 12 to 15-year-olds are being encouraged to have their second Covid vaccine and 16 to 17-year-olds are now eligible for a booster dose.

Mr Zahawi also told headteachers to consider merging classes or sending groups of children home if the number of staff off work due to Covid reaches critical levels.