St George’s C/E school says it has asked Year 8 students to remain at home until December 7 because, alongside a small number of Covid infections, the school is ‘simply running out of staff.’
In a letter from headteacher Adam Mirams to parents and carers it is revealed that on any one day during the last week between 25 and 30 staff were absent, mainly due to having to isolate.
Mr Mirams said: “This clearly places huge amounts of pressure on all areas of the school and we are ensuring we can keep open to as many year groups as possible.
“This has resulted in large numbers of staff doing new things and making changes to their daily routines with no major noticeable effect on the children.
“However the impact is that certain practices at present are simply not possible across the school.”
Mr Mirams also revealed that some staff are working ‘seven days a week to act quickly once we are told about infections.’
He says it is impossible to eradicate all the risks but asks parents to ‘put your trust in us to make the right decisions for all in our community.’
In the letter Mr Mirams thanks parents and carers for their support and adds: “It continues to be an extremely challenging time for all our pupils, staff and parents and it is a credit to all that we continue to function day to day in the most effective way we can. This doesn’t mean that anything is completely normal and there remains much uncertainty which doesn’t help the anxiety levels involved.
“The children continue to be a real credit to you all.”
Year 8 students are isolating until December 7. Year 9 students are due back to the school on Monday.
It is understood that Year 1 and Year 2 bubbles at Priory Infants in Ramsgate are also isolating.
Parents with children in Year 4 at Drapers Mills have also been asked for the youngsters to isolate until December 9 and Year 10 at Dane Court has also been sent home due to confirmed cases.
According to Kent County Council data 25 Thanet schools have informed the authority of Covid cases between September 1 to November 17. Schools do not have to inform KCC of cases or closures so the number is likely to be greater than recorded.
Why not just shut schools ,nearly Christmas hols anyway and clearly some of the children are not practising distancing when out of school, saw a group of about 12 outside new Macdonalds at 8.30 am, either that or drum into the rules.
I agree.
Boris is determined to keep the schools open, but Covid is winning.
25 to 30 staff having to self isolate, I would suggest working in schools must be getting abit scary.
15 to 20 secondary school pupils regularly gather at seating area of piermont park every after noon after school with no masks or social distancing ! They really dont care sadly .
Pls close the schools
This was all forewarned back last summer before students went back to college and school but the idiots running the country have done nothing but keep them them all together in these institutions. Kids cannot social distance themselves from each other, and they just gather in the streets when supposed to be isolating at home. They have not been educated on staying safe and away from elderly family members and friends otherwise they would like in other countries.
We just cannot continue with the feeble excuses for lockdown, nobody is being expected to obey by it and now everything will be open from next week making it even worse. Where is the enforcement?
I think this is looking more like genocide incorporated by the world leaders and their greedy rich pharmacutical business friends they have. Power and might!
What an absurd comment.
Why not shut schools for a year ? . I can see the idea of some parents may be unalbe to work , saying that many have a family member who can look after them but hey we not allowed to do that.
We are told to stop at home but can send our children to mix with others that may bring covid home so whats the point in that?.
Hairdressers have to shut but the take away chip shop is allowed to stay open , one in one out job, whats the difference?
Yes we all have to eat, Tesco and all the others are allowed to open but Wicks or B&Q next door are not .
So we can go to buy fish and chips but carnt pick up that bit of wood.
I really dont understand this lot.
Well, we do need to eat and drink (hence Tesco etc being open) but right now we don’t absolutely need to put up a shelf (hence B&Q being closed)
Yes your right, I was more thinking of why one is shopping at Tescos why one cannot pop in Wicks next door.
Never thought of that it would encouarage more to go out for that item we dont need.
Sorry I dont have the brains of those in goverment
Its all absurd, we’re currently testing at massive rates and have roughly 3 times the number of new cases a day but half the deaths we did in the first wave.
So you can either say that there must have been far more infected people around in march april than today, the numbers mean little, or treatment is much better. Take your pick. We all know what to do, the inly people at real risk are the elderly and those with serious health issues. I’ve no supympathy for those that have bought such conditions on themselves, which leaves the elderly and susceptible ( beyond their own control) to look after. Which is quite doable then the rest of us can get back to our lives.
The death rate from covid is less than 0.1% and for the the under 70’s a fraction of that number. Look at the other risk factors in our lives and lack of access to a fully funtioning nhs is going to kill far more under 70’s than covid.
People need to stop looking for a disaster and look at the risks and act accordingly. A bit of sensible thinking and personal responsibility and its all quite simple.
Completely agree. We are causing far bigger problems through our reaction to covid. Like mental health issues and lack of treatment for illnesses
The PCR tests are causing a casedemic showing lots of false positives and a knock on for isolation.
Covid isnt winning testing is losing.Elon Musk took 4 tests in one day.2 postive 2 negative.Same machine.
We are destroying ourselves as so many tests are wrong.
“The PCR tests are causing a casedemic showing lots of false positives ”
What does this mean?
How many is “lots”?
Where did you get your information from?