Covid case confirmed at Alnwick's Duchess’s Community High School - others self-isolating

Alnwick’s secondary school is among the latest in Northumberland to have a confirmed case of Covid-19.
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The Duchess’s Community High School explained that it has been working closely with Public Health England on the next steps and that those who need to have already been informed and are self-isolating.

In a letter to parents on October 9, head teacher Maurice Hall said: “As a school, ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and the wider school community has been our absolute priority.

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“As a result, we have closely followed all Government guidance and have implemented all possible safety measures and protocols to ensure everyone’s safety and to limit the transmission of any virus.

The Duchess's Community High School in AlnwickThe Duchess's Community High School in Alnwick
The Duchess's Community High School in Alnwick

“The school remains open and providing your child remains well, they can continue to attend school as normal. We will keep this under constant review.”

He added: “I completely appreciate and understand that there are already some inevitable anxieties about coming to school, given the current circumstances we find ourselves in.

“However, I would like to reassure you that we are doing all we can to ensure everyone’s safety and will be continuing to closely follow and implement advice from the experts to maintain this.

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“It is important that students, staff and the wider school community remain vigilant and continue to uphold the various safety protocols in place both within school, but also when out in the wider community.”

The letter can be read in full on the school’s website, alongside FAQs following the positive case and information on its general response to the pandemic – https://dchs-alnwick.org/dchs-covid-response/

Earlier in October, David Street, Northumberland County Council’s acting deputy director of education, who chairs a special Covid support team for schools, said: “What we are not seeing is when there’s a positive case, the next day 15 children in that classroom go on to have symptoms and test positive.

He added: "We are not seeing transmission in schools and classrooms.”

“I think that’s testament to the systems that schools, teachers and support staff are putting in place every day to minimise transmission, but obviously as soon as there is a positive case, there’s a system to follow that the schools are well aware of and which should be minimising any further problems.”

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