Leeds Primary School confirms positive coronavirus case

A Leeds primary school has confirmed a positive case of coronavirus days before pupils were due to start the new term.
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The acting headteacher at Bardsey Primary School, on Woodacre Lane, confirmed that a member of staff has tested positive for Covid-19.

In a letter shared to the school's website on Friday, September 4, it states that the member of staff had been in the school helping to prepare for the new academic year before they were diagnosed with the virus.

They must now self-isolate for 14 days.

A member of staff at Bardsey Primary School has tested positive for coronavirus. Photo: Tony JohnsonA member of staff at Bardsey Primary School has tested positive for coronavirus. Photo: Tony Johnson
A member of staff at Bardsey Primary School has tested positive for coronavirus. Photo: Tony Johnson
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Other staff members who were present at the time will also now need to self-isolate.

In the letter, the school said that the positive coronavirus case means it will be "impossible" to safely reopen the school for all year groups from Tuesday, September 8.

Due to this, the school will only be reopening for Year Five and Six students on that date.

The return to school for other year groups will be staggered.

A member of staff at Bardsey Primary School has tested positive for coronavirus. Photo: Steve Riding.A member of staff at Bardsey Primary School has tested positive for coronavirus. Photo: Steve Riding.
A member of staff at Bardsey Primary School has tested positive for coronavirus. Photo: Steve Riding.
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Reception, Year 1 and Year 3 students will return on Wednesday, September 16.

Year 2 and 4 students will return on Thursday, September 17.

The school has been deep cleaned, the letter confirms.

-> Leeds Council releases statement about mandatory face masks in schoolsA joint statement from acting headteacher Mark Wright and the acting head chair of governors Jane Ambrose said: "I am sorry to inform you that a member of staff who was in school this week has tested positive for COVID -19 and has been told to self-isolate for 14 days.

"This person was in school with some other members of staff preparing for the start of the new academic year so those staff have been told by the local health protection team from Public Health England that they also need to self isolate at home for 14 days.

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"As we are a small staff team this has made it impossible for us to open the school safely for all year groups from 8th September as planned.

"We are desperately sorry for this situation as we know how important it is for your children to resume or begin their formal learning and we were very much looking forward to seeing them.

"However, I am sure you appreciate that we are operating in a very difficult time and that clearly we must follow the advice we have been given."

They added: "We have managed to make some alterations to our staffing so that we can welcome back two year groups as originally planned on 8th September.

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"The two year groups who will be returning on that date are Years 5 and 6. I would like to reassure parents of Year 5 and 6 children that the school is safe.

"A deep clean of the school has been undertaken.

"We have also arranged for an additional senior leader from another local school to be on site to oversee arrangements.

"Other year groups will be able to return as follows: Reception, Year 1 and Year 3 on Wednesday, September 16 and Years 2 and 4 on Thursday, September 17.

"We are currently discussing what will be appropriate with regard to remote learning at home and I will contact you again with more information in due course.

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"We are also exploring if we can arrange online meetings for children starting in reception and their families. We will contact those parents/carers directly about this.

"Please accept my apologies for this inconvenience again which is beyond our control."

The letter is signed: "Mark. J. Knight, Mrs Jane. Ambrose, Acting Head Chair of Governors."

The 2020/21 school year starts on Monday, September 7.