On Thursday 10th December, a Leicester-based school announced a reversal in their decision to remained close early for Christmas over concerns of increasing coronavirus infections.
Avanti Fields School had earlier written to the parents stating the risk of infections among students and staff had risen from medium to high and that after discussions with governors and the city council it had decided to close from the first week of December 9, until the first week of January.
But Headteacher Emma Taplin later sent out a letter stating that the school would reopen after a “deep clean” of the building. In her letter, she noted, “Firstly we would like to thank all the parents for their patience and support in the last few days as we have navigated these challenging and difficult times. We appreciate the number of reported cases in the school have caused anxiety and we have acted promptly and proactively in order to protect the whole school community.
“However, after further discussion with Public Health England, the local authority and other relevant bodies, and given the fact that the school has remained open to other key worker children, we are pleased to share that we will remain open to all children who are not currently self-isolating from Friday December 11 to the end of term (Friday 18).” But entire Year 7 would be off school as well as five other class bubbles.
The city council’s strategic director of social care and education Martin Samuels in a statement to Leicester Mercury said, “15% of pupils and staff were being asked to self-isolate at any one time and very few of those individuals do develop symptoms, but it is a necessary precaution. One of the consequences of this that schools are often finding it very difficult to operate through lack of staff.
“We are increasingly finding children are being sent home not because they have the virus or who have been in contact with someone who has but because the staff who would operate the school are not there.”
