By Jonathan Rose
March 6 2020, 19.00
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A Kingston secondary school closed today when a member of staff chose to self-isolate after a pupil tested positive for coronavirus.
The school has commenced a thorough cleaning to allow staff and pupils to return on Monday.
The Kingston Academy sent out an email to parents on March 3 explaining that a pupil had tested positive.
Following advice from Public Health England, the school chose not to close. This decision has since been reversed.
In an official statement released today to parents of The Kingston Academy, head teacher Sophie Cavanagh said: “Yesterday a member of staff chose to self-isolate and seek medical advice due to their status as being in a vulnerable category.
“The member of staff was swabbed yesterday afternoon and is now awaiting the results of this test.
“Given this development, we are taking the cautious approach to enable further enhanced cleaning of the whole school site today and over the weekend period.
“As such, the school will be closed today (Friday March 6) and will re-open on Monday pending any further developments.”
Several parents have chosen to self-isolate and are concerned their children may have come into contact with the infected pupil as a result of the mentor/buddy system at the school.
One stay-at-home mum from Kingston, said: “It has been really worrying to send my daughter to the school in case she is at risk.”
Her and her family have now self-isolated and are due for testing today.
Describing the experience of self-isolation, she said: “It is scary in a way. You are completely cut-off. You cannot get outside.
“The kids are going crazy because they cannot leave the house or speak to their friends.
“It is not a very nice experience and you are just left in the lurch waiting.”
