Corby secondary school shuts after pupil tests positive for coronavirus

A Corby secondary school has had to close temporarily after a pupil tested positive for Covid-19.

Kingswood Secondary Academy in Gainsborough Road will undergo a deep clean between now and Friday ready for reopening on Monday.

One of the school’s three keyworker bubbles is now isolating for two weeks following the positive test from one of its cohort.

The child’s mother was given a routine test at work which proved to be positive. The girl immediately self-isolated with her family and later tested positive herself.

The school, made famous by the 1982 documentary Kingswood - A Comprehensive School, informed all parents today of the case but those who were due into school today were told last night (Tuesday, June 16).

A letter home from principal Michelle Newman said: “Whilst Covid was not caught through the key worker provision, we have instigated the following actions as a precautionary measure:

“Closed down the school site to conduct a deep clean between now and Friday ready for re-opening aspects of provision on Monday - this is purely precautionary and goes beyond the government guidance

“Closed down the 'bubble' or group in which the child attended and all children and staff within that allocated bubble are now self-isolating for fourteen days as per the government guidance.

“The other two bubbles in the key worker provision (staffed by different staff) will re-open on Monday once the deep clean has been completed.

“Year ten provision and rota will go ahead as planned, this is in a completely different part of the school staffed by different staff altogether.”

The school will reopen for its remaining two keyworker bubbles and for year 10 on Monday (June 22).

Ms Newman continued: “Upon re-opening, the usual risk assessments and operating processes will be conducted with rigour as they always have been in working to ensure we keep as safe as possible following the government guidance.”

When schools reopened two weeks ago, the government advised them to place children in small bubbles that had no physical contact between them. This allows schools to only ask those within each bubble to isolate if there has been a positive test, while the remainder of pupils can continue to attend school.

Kignswood is part of the Greenwood Academies Trust.