Hunslet St. Mary's CE Primary School collapses class bubble after coronavirus case

Hunslet St Mary's C of E Primary School informed parents of the case in a letter sent home on September 15 - available to view here.

A statement on the school website said collapsing the Year 4 bubble "was not a decision taken lightly" and "was done in full consultation with the Health and Safety team at Leeds City Council, Public Health England and the trust".

Children sent home will self-isolate until their return to school, the school said.

The full statement read: "Collapsing the Year 4 bubble was not a decision taken lightly and was done in full consultation with the Health and Safety team at Leeds City Council, Public Health England and the trust.

"Currently over 50 schools in the city have had to send children home due to positive case.

"The children sent home must self-isolate until their return to school on Friday 25th September.

"No one else in their household needs to isolate yet so their siblings can still attend school.

"THIS IS NOT A SCHOOL DECISION- IT IS THE GUIDANCE PROVIDED BY ALL THOSE WHO WERE CONSULTED ABOUT THE CASE THIS MORNING.

"Only if a sent home child develops symptoms themselves would a whole household will need to isolate and require siblings to stay at home."

A letter dated September 15 was sent home to parents.

The letter said: "I am writing to advise you that a member of our school community has tested positive for COVID-19.

"As your child is in the same year bubble as this person, they must now stay at home and self-isolate for the next 14 days (until 25th September), even if they do not have symptoms.

"This is in accordance with the government’s test and trace programme and to help prevent the virus spreading to others.

"Other members of your household do not need to self-isolate unless your child starts to show symptoms of COVID-19.

"The symptoms are:

a high temperature – this means they feel hot to touch on their chest or back;

a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours; and/or

a loss of, or change in, your child’s normal sense of taste of smell (anosmia).

"Please be vigilant for these symptoms and if your child starts to display any of them, it would then be necessary for all other members of your household to self-isolate for 14 days.

"Anyone with symptoms can now be tested for COVID-19, and this should ideally happen within the first five days from the onset of symptoms.

"Please see the NHS.UK website for more information: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-for-coronavirus/ask-for-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/"

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Thank you

Laura Collins